As I write this, we are almost done quarantining for the second time this year. It may not be the last time we have to do this, because now only three out of the five of us have had Covid-19. I have a great deal of gratitude that none of us were extremely ill, that we took precautions that probably made the course of our illness better and certainly better for our community, and that we have a warm house and plenty of food while we are home.

This year, however uneven and trying at times, has offered up its own brand of blessings and promises. I am finishing my clinical doctorate in December should all things go well. I started working at two new jobs. This year has been so hard for so many, but it can become a foundation to build up from. Many people spent more time at home with their families than they ever had. School situations changed and parents were more aware than ever as to what went on at school, or decided to change schooling and be all in with whatever way they choose to educate their child. People cut back expenses, cut back on driving, cooked more at home, gardened and canned more, and overall found joy in things that before may have been in the category of “I will do that if I have time.” Hopefully this foundation of the family and the home will bring a stability and a place to build sustainability for the future.

So, in this time leading up to American Thanksgiving on Thursday, may your blessings be many. May you acknowledge the atrocities of the past and the land you stand on at your dinner, if you do that on Thanksgiving Day. Here is a place to find what First Peoples to remember where you live: https://native-land.ca/. May we never gloss over nor forget. I wrote a post in 2015 with these words about the act of giving thanks and it seems true today:

In a world that often seems shattered, broken, and perhaps beyond repair….

Let us give thanks in our hearts for the light we and others can bring to the world.

Let us give thanks for our best attempts to be kind, compassionate and caring to ourselves, our children and the world.

Let us give thanks for all the good things we model for our children.

Let us give thanks for all the helpers in the world.  There are many.

Let us give thanks for all that we have, and all the ways in which we can help others.

Let us give thanks for the beauty of the earth and skies and seas.

Let us give thanks for the animals and plants and the diversity of all human beings and cultures around the world.

Let us give thanks for peace and show the world love.

May your gratitude be great as we bring even more light into the world during this season. May your acts of kindness be bold.

Blessings and peace,

Carrie