Happy November, readers! I hope you are enjoying the Fall weather and looking forward to a warm, tasty Thanksgiving meal. While reading, take the time to breathe and reflect on how much you have done, witnessed, and been a part of this past year.
If you are like I am, it sure has been a lot. From your own personal moments, to the events of your family and friends, to the dealings of our nation and world, a lot of changes have taken place this year. It can be overwhelming. However, the month of November provides a reprieve.
November is a wonderful time to reflect on our lives, remember our loved ones, and ultimately practice gratitude for our place in this crazy world. This month truly is a gift. It allows us the grace to pause and see the reality of our situation. Remember, it was just four years ago, when we were under lockdown and unable to share a meal with our loved ones.
I still find it crazy, the amount of change our city, state, nation, and world were forced to make during the pandemic. However, when I take the time to reflect on the past four years, there is one huge lesson that comes to me, “You can-not take your family, friends, and loved ones for granted.” November gives us the opportunity to act out that lesson.
Life is too short to allow division, anger, or stress to affect our interpersonal relationships. November is a time when we, as a nation, can gather together and express gratitude. It is an ideal time to look at our lives and appreciate all the people who are a part of it. What’s more, once you start acting grateful, like a ball rolling downhill, you pick up momentum. Before you know it, you are exuding the spirit of thankfulness!
We as a world have been and continue to go through a lot. Rather than taking on this weight, take action to be grateful. Give yourself a break from the inundation of outside events and pervasive negativity. Instead, let’s take part in spreading gratitude.
How do you get the gratitude ball rolling? Well, first, make it your goal this month to spend quality time together with your loved ones, and share family traditions and stories.
Whether at a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, or when you are out partaking in daily chores, be present with your loved ones. Second, put aside your differences and instead focus on what you are grateful for in each person you
encounter. Third, be thankful. Turn your focus away from the negatives and towards the positives. When you sit down for a meal with your loved ones, ask everyone to share what they are thankful for. Fourth, get out and volunteer! There are plenty of people who could use your help, time, talent, and treasure. From soup kitchens to donation centers, go out and help. Our city offers so many wonderful opportunities to give to and serve others. If you want a worthy and amazing Thanksgiving cause to participate in, go check out St. Monica Catholic Community’s 45th Thanksgiving Feast.
Finally, work together. Whether you're cooking with your children, decorating your home, watching a football game, celebrating with a Thanksgiving potluck, working on a project with a coworker, or standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, be present and engage in a positive way with those you encounter.
In the end, no matter how you choose to celebrate and enjoy this month, remember that we are all in this together, and that being grateful for one another (especially your family and our community) is an action that we cannot take for granted. God Bless!
By Cheryl Thode
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