Holiday Time

It is grateful time in the US of A. Evidently, we can only designate one day a year to be filled with gratitude and or thankfulness.  The airways and ethers are filled with the sound of it. Yet, many people are sad or resentful or resistant to spending time with family. Arguments erupt. Feelings are hurt. Long time resentments are put on the front burner. And yet the airports are full and people are on the road making the drive.

It begs the question, “Should we have enforced thankfulness?”

What if we did not have a day designated?  Would we be more willing to be grateful or gracious or caring? Would we be more open to finding grace and gratitude daily?

I mean having a day where we are instructed to gather with others and express gratitude might be giving us an out for the other 364/365 (leap year ya know) days. I do not want to go all preachy here, but I find that spending a few seconds a day being grateful for something seems to make my life fuller and more content.  There are days I have to take a bit longer to find the gift of the day in my thoughts, but those are often more appreciated than the easy days.

The past two years have been challenging for us all, some more than others.  The fear that is out in the world right now is palpable. Maybe a bit more attention to finding the good would help to assuage some of that terror. Potentially some of the polarization would be diminished with looking for the win rather than the loss. Perhaps we could find a softening in the hard lines that have been drawn.

In the end we are humans bumping up against each other and to quote the late Ram Dass, “We are all just walking each other home.” Join me in my Thanksgiving Year campaign – no arguing or overeating required.

Oh and thanks for reading the blog.