The season of giving thanks for the abundance we have is upon us. How will you be celebrating what you are thankful for this year?
You could:
Take a walk in the woods. Listen to the silence and notice the peace which surrounds you. We are lucky to live in an area that allows us to get into nature easily. The Superior Municipal Forest off 28th street, Wisconsin Point, Pattison Park, Amnicon Falls, and more are available within minutes. Beware of hunters!
Collect fallen leaves and write what you are thankful for on them. This is a wonderful activity I do with my children. After collecting leaves I write what each is thankful for, then paste them to a “tree trunk” made of construction paper. Their Thankful Trees become our decorations for the season. It is a wonderful way to help children understand the abundance which surrounds them and to talk with them about what is meaningful in life.
Make a list. Write down all the things you are thankful for and say thank you. If you can tell the people responsible for the items on your list. If not say thank you out loud – no one has to hear but say it and feel it.
Get out and do a Turkey Trot, a Christmas Fun Run, or another active event for charity. This is a great chance to feel your own strength, give thanks for it, and help others in the process. Not to mention the friendship and camaraderie you gain and can give thanks for as you build relationships in your life.
When cooking meals for those who will share your spaces this holiday season, create healthy meals and do so with love and enjoyment. As Kahlil Gibran states in The Prophet, “For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man’s hunger.” Give thanks for your friends and family by cooking healthy foods for them.
Watch the snow fall. I know snow means winter has arrived, but without winter we would not have spring. As the days turn colder we move within ourselves. Think about the amazing task it must be to create snow, and so much. Think about how beautiful the land looks when covered by a blanket of white. Think about how quiet it is after snowing – to me it is always more quiet. Enjoy the quiet and give thanks that you are able to watch this moment.
I know I’ve been a bit more philosophical this time, but I do believe we are surrounded by abundance if we chose to look. Even in these times of economic crisis, crazy politics, and uncertainties we are surrounded by beauty and in beauty we find abundance for the spirit. It takes us to realize the abundance in our lives and through activity and rest we are better able to see what surrounds us, feel what moves us, and give thanks for what we do have in our lives. Happy Thanksgiving!
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