Happy Thanksgiving!

“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.”  Sarah Ban Breathnach

My Facebook memories this week have been all about Thanksgiving…and our family get togethers…and our drives to the Cranberry Marsh.  I woke up today feeling a little down as I looked at another memory and thought about the people who are far away and those who have passed away in the last year.

Then I started to think about when Oprah introduced Sarah Ban Breathnach and her book, “Simple Abundance”; it must have been in 1995 since that’s when the book came out.  That was the first time I heard about the concept of gratitude as a direct route to happiness.

Now, of course, we celebrate the importance of mindfulness and gratitude, but in 1995, it was one of those concepts that seemed so revolutionary…and yet, so simple I wondered why no one had talked about it before.

And the concept of gratitude has evolved over the years. At the start of COVID, I took a Stanford online course called “The Science of Well-Being” and the concept of gratitude was the first one introduced.  The professor talked often about “savouring” moments; really stopping to be present and take a “mental picture” of the thing you are enjoying.  This will intensify and lengthen the positive emotions that come with doing something you love, and recording those moments in your gratitude journal each night will stretch those positive emotions even further.

Over the years, I have been successful with the daily gratitude journal sometimes…and other times, not so much.  It is a great habit that helps me stay positive, especially if I focus on those moments that I savoured each day.  I can sometimes get in the habit of writing things like “family, friends, food” or those things that I am grateful for EVERYDAY, rather than the specific moments that brought me gratitude that particular day.

So this weekend, I am grateful for the delicious dinner that Gilles, Bridget and I enjoyed on Saturday night before Gilles left for some time in the bush on Sunday.  We enjoyed dinner and a lot of laughs.  There have been a few years where it was just Bridget and I, and others when we had the whole gang here.  However many places are set at the table, we always enjoy the full turkey dinner with potatoes, stuffing, squash, gravy and Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.  This is one of the many reasons why Thanksgiving is a cherished holiday!

I am grateful for the hike Bridget and I did on Wilson’s Falls Trail.  We are so lucky to live so close to this beautiful trail, and I’m so grateful that I can fully enjoy it…especially with wonderful company like Bridget!  The leaves are past their peak for sure, but the Mother Nature still treated us to lots of beauty.

I am grateful for the drive that Bridget, my dad and I took; our traditional loop from home to Gravenhurst then Bala then Port Carling and back.  We skipped the Cranberry Marsh because we had visited that with Max when things were less busy and stocked up on our cranberries and goodies, but we did the drive.  The sun was shining and the colours were so vibrant in some places that it took our breath away!

I am grateful for technology that allows me to stay in touch with my kids no matter where they are in the world.  We have raised the most amazing, adventurous children and we are so blessed to be able to share in their journey.

Finally, I am grateful for my friends…those I got to have a socially-distanced, outdoor visit with today, and those I haven’t seen in awhile, but who stay in touch through social media and texting.  Life would definitely not be as colourful without good friends to share the journey.

Happy Thanksgiving!  May you find moments to savour every day!