Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving is just two days away and as usual I am scrambling to get it all done in time. It has been such a busy year I considered not cooking for my usual number of 20 or so friends and family. However, when I took a deep breath and a minute to remember what Thanksgiving really means to me, there was just no way I was not going to celebrate this holiday in traditional style. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It gives me a chance to express my love and gratitude for those who grace my life and to be thankful for all the blessing that have been granted me.

Thankful in all things

This past May my beautiful granddaughter, Carolyn Grace, was born. She is named after my beloved sister who I lost in December of 2007. Every day that I look at her beautiful smile I am reminded that no matter what challenges I may be facing there is pure joy in my world..and I am grateful. Even though she will be too young to understand the day I will know that I have provided her with a solid family tradition that hopefully one day she will carry on with her family.

This morning as part of my daily ritual I read Mastin Kipp’s Daily Love Blog and I would like to share an excerpt from that with you.

Mastin writes,

“If we look close enough, we can see that we can receive massive benefit from all the circumstances in our lives. We can get extreme value from the tough times, the break downs, break ups and seeming disappointments. When we are grateful, even for the challenges, we make the huge leap from lack and blame based thoughts and take a step into abundance and empowerment. When we are grateful for it all, we have truly become rich. Then, whatever happens, we stay in our power, we stay grateful and miracles begin to be a daily occurrence. They have been there the whole time – they’ve just been waiting to be seen by us.

This is our opportunity – to be grateful for the whole journey. Not just the highs – no, but the lows, too. For each are teachers and come filled with a blessing if we have the miracle mindset to see them.”

This thought really resounded with me. While each day I acknowledge the things I am thankful for, I recognized that I never say I am thankful for the challenges and opportunities for growth. Instead I focus on only the positive things. Today and going forward I am going to embrace all things in life to be grateful for, especially the challenges.

My wish for you

This Thanksgiving and everyday my wish for you is that you have an abundance of things in your life to be grateful for and that you feel blessed for waking up and greeting the day. Finally, I would like to share with you the Cherokee Prayer Blessing, my favorite prayer that I have made a tradition of reciting to my loved ones and now to you my treasured readers and friends.

May the Warm Winds of Heaven
Blow softly upon your house
May the Great Spirit Bless all who enter there
May your Moccasins
Make happy tracks,
in many snows.
and may the Rainbow
Always touch your shoulder.

Happy Thanksgiving

*Photo credit: flickr user Satoru Kikuchi