My Grateful Heart
In our part of the world, there is a day to celebrate and give thanks for our blessings and for abundance. This national holiday goes back to a harvest feast first celebrated in United States in year 1621. We continued the tradition year after year and nowadays, it is a national holiday where families gather around the table to celebrate their gratitude with a turkey dinner. With time, many of us have forgotten the real meaning of this festivity and the day has been transformed to be the beginning of Christmas shopping.
This year, the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to celebrate in a different way. Family groups will not be able to get together to celebrate. Many families are planning remote gatherings to be able to stay connected on this special day. However, in the midst of this day, we can take some time to reflect on this year and from that special place in our heart find many blessings and lessons we will carry with us, not just today, but everyday.
This year taught me the value of being present in the moment. For the longest time I was so busy feeling guilty for the past and making lots of plans for the future, that I forgot to pay attention to the present. This period of isolation showed me the value of waking up to life every day with curiosity and trying to find beauty even in the smallest things. I am grateful for this lesson.
This year showed me the importance of human connection, of family ties and the importance of expressing our feelings. It took me this time away from the people I love to understand the treasure of appreciating every minute with them. I learned the value of hugging my loved ones for no reason at all. I am grateful for this lesson.
This year gave me the opportunity to see my family grow. I became a grandmother for the first time. It has been a unique experience watching the baby grow from the distance and communicating by video calls. I have learned to cherish these moments as I see my little ray of sunshine smiling in the screen of my phone. I can see his innocence and his spontaneity as a sign that he came to this world to teach us important lessons. I am grateful for the miracle of life as I look forward to meet him.
The biggest lesson l learned was to let go of everything I cannot control. Everybody who knows me can tell about my obsession with schedules and planning. Everything has to be organized and planned to the smallest task and detail. This year took all my plans and changed them. My desire for control was confronted with the realization that the only thing I have control over is the decisions I make and over my thoughts. Learning to let go was perhaps one the biggest lessons I had to learn. I am grateful for that lesson.
As I sit in reflection, today I am grateful for my loving partner Tony. We have grown closer these days taking care of each other, sharing the new workspace at home, taking bike rides and walks at the beach and doing small things together. I am grateful for my kids as I see them mature and become wonderful human beings. I am grateful for my friends and for my yoga community as we have been holding space for each other. I am grateful for abundant health and abundant love. I am grateful for a deepened spirituality.
Today as we reflect on gratitude, let’s complete the circle of abundance by sharing our most treasured gifts with others. Let’s shift the ME to the US and offer our hearts to others in gratitude.
Happy Thanksgiving....
The miracle of gratitude
is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see.
-Dr. Robert Holden