In the months of November and December a lot of emotions, thoughts and feelings are brought to the surface. A common theme during the month of November is,” What are you thankful for?” I know, take a deep sigh and start to scratch your head and say, “What am I actually Thankful for?” The reality is that 2021 has been a hard year. My memory of last Thanksgiving was remarkable. My family of four usually celebrates the holiday with Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Last year was an adaptation of our usual cozy family gathering. Thanksgiving 2020 was a virtual holiday. We had the computer set up and the Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins were all zoomed into our family dining room. I remember at the time I was annoyed and disappointed that Covid was taking away my cozy family gathering. I felt bad for my parents that they couldn’t be physically with their grandchildren. Of course we made the best of it but inside I was secretly angry. I wish I could turn back the clock and enjoy that moment more. My recollection now of the dinner was how fortunate we all were to be able to zoom and we were all healthy and alive. I am so Thankful and Fortunate for that memory because my father has since passed away. If I could go back to that day I would say to everyone at the end of the night,”I am Much Obliged for us all being together tonight.” Southern translation, I am Thankful for all of us being together. Much Obliged, being Fortunate all have the same meaning of “Thankful.” Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks.
I chose to share my personal story with you because I know we all think that it has to be something big to be Thankful about. I realize now that it is the small blessings we should be Thankful for. I also am very aware that there are a lot of us who don’t feel we have anything to be Thankful for. Depression, anxiety and loneliness occur at this time. I know it is a hard time of year for a lot of you. How do you think you can add some positivity to this time of year? I will refer back now to the idea of the small things that we should be thankful for. It’s the small events and things that happen that will make the biggest impact on our lives. Start to change your perceptions and look for the small positive things in life. I think this is so important in the time of a Global Pandemic. We all have new struggles because of Covid and finding daily small things to be Thankful for or to feel Fortunate for can make a huge difference on your mental health.
It is very important to nurture your mental health during the holidays. The ultimate goal is for you to enjoy yourself and to take in the feel of the holiday season. It’s basic, just look for the small things and ides to be Thankful for. I am Thankful for my dog. I am fortunate to have my friends. I am Obliged to my neighbor who waves to me every day. I am Thankful for beautiful sunsets. I know you are getting the picture. Take a listen to Wide Open Spaces with Ilise this week for Season 2 Episode 62 and I will be able to set you on a new journey to enjoy this holiday season. I want to leave you with a great social task. This year at your Thanksgiving dinner have a jar, paper and a pen. Once the guests sit down at the table have them all write down what they are Thankful for this year. When everyone is done one by one read out loud what each person has written down. This can be so impactful and meaningful to all and if there is someone struggling this may help them to start to think about the small things that are important. It truly is all about how you frame an idea and how you change your thought process.
I would like to wish all of my readers and podcast listeners a very Happy Thanksgiving.
POSITIVE THOUGHTS, CREATE POSITIVE ENERGY
GO OUT AND EXPLORE ALL OF THE WIDE OPEN SPACES IN YOUR WORLD
CIAO
Ilise
