Today is Thanksgiving in the United States, and I’m reminded about a blog post I wrote this time last year about cultivating a present moment gratitude practice. It’s hard to believe that just months after I wrote the post, we would enter the era of COVID, a time when a consistent gratitude practice is more important- and more challenging- than ever before.
During Thanksgiving we spend time with our family and friends and reflect on how grateful we are for what and who we have in our lives. But this year feels very different. We are grateful for our health while thinking of the millions of people (and perhaps people that we know) that are suffering. We are grateful for our families, yet we may not be traveling to see them and grieve the loss of a normal family gathering. It’s almost as if the blessings we normally celebrate this time of year have come with fine print attached.
We know the science behind gratitude – it literally changes how our brain functions and makes us happier. But in the midst of a global pandemic, it certainly isn’t easy. So how can we remember gratitude this Thanksgiving in the year 2020, when it seems that everything has changed?
I am a firm believer that everything has something to teach us, if we let it. If you usually celebrate Thanksgiving with a large group and find yourself celebrating instead with your immediate family this year, ask yourself: “What can I learn from this? What is the opportunity?”
With less to cook and to clean, could it mean more time with your family? Could it mean starting a new tradition? Maybe you can teach your kids how to make your grandmother’s stuffing, or you opt to watch a favorite movie together rather than watching a football game.
While you may miss catching up with relatives over Thanksgiving dinner, you can see it as an opportunity to discuss what you are grateful for as a family, as well as reviewing your family’s values. If one of your family values is generosity, talk about how you will be donating to a local food bank. If another one is fun, let your kids brainstorm ideas about fun ways to spend the weekend (that don’t involve Black Friday shopping!) Reviewing your family values during Thanksgiving can be a tradition in itself, and can help make sure that everyone is walking in the same direction.
It is hard to embrace the “involuntary simplicity” of a low-key Thanksgiving gathering when we miss our family, friends, and the traditions of the past. However, we can choose to be grateful and express this gratitude to the people around our table (as well as the people on the other end of the FaceTime or Zoom call), to see the opportunity for growing closer as a family, and to take the extra time to reflect on our family’s values and the path forward.
I am grateful for you, dear reader, and wish you the happiest of Thanksgivings. I would like to leave you with I poem I wrote:
Like so many things this year, Thanksgiving has changed
And our first response may be to grieve
We know that we’re blessed, but everything feels so strange
That sometimes it is hard to believe
You may not be cooking an extravagant meal
You may not be cooking at all
You may wonder how Thanksgiving will feel
With the people who live within your home’s walls
The places set around the table may have dwindled
Instead of china, perhaps you’ll use paper plates
But what if we saw this as time to rekindle
The things that make our families great?
What are your traditions? What are your values?
Are you spending your time with intention?
Your legacy is lived when you purposely choose
The way your family moves in the same direction
This could be the year you teach your kids to bake
Your grandmother’s sweet potato pie
Or instead of hours cleaning up, you have some time to take
A family walk under the starlit sky
Be present, be grateful, show your family you care
Even if the celebration’s more subdued
And this Thanksgiving will be remembered for the moments you shared
Filled with love, peace, and gratitude
Simplify. Find out how.
Subscribe to receive the Decluttering Tips and Resources for Overwhelmed Moms weekly newsletter and receive my most popular resource, 50 Questions Minimalists Ask. Make sure to look for an e-mail from info@simplebyemmy.com to confirm your subscription!