More Than My Share

A life without thanks is a life that hasn’t been lived yet. That’s really the only way I can encompass what I feel in myself in this moment. It’s important to include that word “yet” at the end. There is no end-point on that journey. It’s never too late to rediscover that overwhelming sense of appreciation in the world around us. It’s an every-moment, 365 kind of deal that can only be lost if you allow it. I still feel fortunate there’s an observed day in our calendar for that all-too brief time to say, and even more so, to give, to those people or treasures that have given our lives so much meaning, purpose, and love. Then again, the season can also serve in providing the opportunity to surrender to forgiveness. It can be focused towards someone else but it’s funny how, more often than not, we realize we’re struggling for forgiveness in ourselves. One of the more difficult obstacles in life to achieve it can also be, not coincidentally the greatest, and most freeing, gift of all.

There are aspects in my life with which I’m struggling yet I have very little, nothing actually, I cannot be thankful for. I have more than so many, an amazing family whose patience and belief in me has been endless. I have friends, both personal and professional, who have provided relief, memories, and rock-solid optimism during these not-so-easy times. I’m thankful to these people because of who they are, the joy they engender in others, and the comfort provided in good times and bad. I can only hope I’ve granted those friends a semblance of the support they have given me.

Thanksgiving is indeed more than a holiday, just as the wise and graceful man said above. The weekend can be a time of reconnection with friends or family, a time of healing, a time of forgiveness, a time of peace, a time of understanding, a time of reflection, or even a time of re-evaluation. Any or all of these and more can be tied into giving thanks for the fortunes we value in our lives, however small.

Thanksgiving can be anything in this world you decide it needs to be. What does this holiday mean for you this year? Please let me know in the comments below.