The Importance Of Celebrating Thanksgiving
by Donna Maria
The last three months of 2001 have been among the mosttrying of a lifetime for many of us. No matter where we live or what nationalitywe are, we have been touched as never before by the events of September 11. Perhaps that's why we all seem to be"nesting" these days in record numbers. I begannesting long before September 11 as my family began preparing for the arrival ofour first child. But after September 11, remaining close to my home, spendingvaluable time with family and friends and holding those dear to me closer thanever has become even more of a priority for me. As I observethe way my family, friends, acquaintances and many HBN members are living their lives at this time, thesame seems to hold true for them as well. And on this day of Thanksgiving, whilethere is much to mourn, there is also much to celebrate and e thankful for. No matter whatyour situation, set aside some time today tocelebrate those things and people in your life for which you are especiallygrateful.
1. Don't Let Sadness, Frustration or Depression KeepYou From Giving Thanks. Being thankful is especially challenging for thoseof us who have experienced recent sadness or devastation of one kind or another.The loss of a loved one, a separation or divorce, the loss of a job, the recentdeparture of a spouse or family member to the war effort and countless othertypes of losses can quickly rob anyone of the desire to celebrate and be thankful.Depression sets in and we find ourselves without the desire to even get out ofbed in the morning. During the times of profound sadness in my life, I have found it veryhard to get "up" for holiday family celebrations, preferring instead torent movies, stay at home and read a good book, eat out by myself (and then eatlots of ice cream "in"), or just mopearound reveling in my sadness. This "woe is me" attitude gets menowhere but more deeply depressed. It is only when I put myself into asituation where I am forced to mingle with others that I discover afresh all ofthe many thingsI have to be thankful for. Talking with others, learning what is going on intheir worlds and just being forced to smile all serve to lift my spirits when Iam down. The hardest part is getting dressed for the occasion ... but if you canget through that, putting yourself in a car and driving to wherever you've beeninvited to go, you'll be glad you did.
2. Help Someone Else Through A Tough Time. When wehelp someone else, we also help ourselves. I have found that when I allowmyself to show genuine concern about someone else's life ... when I look them inthe eye as they share a problematic or heart breaking situation, myconcern alone helps them through their tough time, and I am blessed by that. I don't even have to sayanything, and many times, it's best that I do not. I am reminded of the Biblicalstory of Job who had everything taken away from him. He lost his wealth, hisfamily and everything that he held dear. When he poured his heart out to hisfriends, they tried to explain why these things had happened to him when all Jobreally wanted them to do was sit with him and listen. Try this. If you havea friend who is suffering, call that person or even visit if you can and showcompassion and concern for what they are going through without trying to offeran explanation or a solution for the problem. Providing a listening ear willnot only help them, but will also bless you as you simply take the time toprovide another human being with a shoulder to help carry their burden.
3. Meditate On Positive Things, Causing Them ToIncrease. I once heard that the things on which we meditate most are the verythings that take precedence in our lives. If this is true, and, from myexperience, I believe that it is, then placing our minds on those things forwhich we are most thankful will cause them to expand and take up more space inour lives. No matter how bad a situation is, there are always things to be thankfulfor. Lately, for me with a newborn in the house, it's been hard to sleep, getany work done, perform household chores, make phone calls to friends and excitedaunts and uncles, prepare thank you cards, begin holiday shopping and baking& etc. It could easily overwhelm me if I dwelt on all of the things I don'thave time to do that I still have to do. On the other hand, I want the goodthings in my life to increase, so I choose instead to be thankful for them. Here's my short list for this year:
* a healthy new daughter to love, nurture and guide ...and who brings me the opportunity to learn patience and discipline like never before
* the blessing of having found a reliable and caring pediatrician for mydaughter
* health insurance
* the opportunity to know great people around the world through the HandmadeBeauty Connection
* the blessing of being able to serve the handmade toiletries community
* a personal network of extremely supportive advisors, friends and family members
* a successful business that brings me great joy and fulfillment
* the warm bath I plan to take tonight ... complete with handmade soap, candlesand lotions, some soft music and a cup of ginger tea with honey and pine nuts
And that's just for starters ... There's no room in mylife to give anything negative more than the slightest moment of thought,followed by a swift dismissal.
May I invite you to celebrate the joy of lifewith me this Thanksgiving? Take the time today to spend precious moments withfamily and friends, eat the stuff that makes your stomach happy (even if itmakes your waistline expand), share your heart with the people you care aboutand top it all off with a soul soothing bath if you can.
Enjoy the day. Be thankful. I am thankful for you!
