Giving Thanks

About Moi, Thanksgiving 5 comments

cranberries

cranberries ~~~ erin reynolds photography

As a kid, I was never into Thanksgiving. It wasn’t flashy like the 4th of July and didn’t involve gifts like Christmas.  I also didn’t like turkey, really didn’t like older relatives telling me how much taller I was and I didn’t really understand the concept of being thankful. Not that I was an ungrateful child, but really when it comes down to it, Thanksgiving is a grown-up holiday. It takes the wisdom of a few years to appreciate the concept of being thankful.

Now that I am older, I still don’t eat turkey, but I like Thanksgiving. I actually like that it’s less flashy and that there’s an emphasis on spending time with family. And, I certainly know now why it’s important to be thankful and to share  that with family & friends in both good times and bad. It’s something that I actually look forward to, in fact, that sharing. There’s also a quiet reflection in the celebration of Thanksgiving that is appealing. I’m sure I’m not the only one who spends some time thinking about thankfulness and all that I have to be thankful for in my life.

One thing I’ve learned over my many Thanksgivings is that no matter how difficult things may seem (and there have been some tough times), there are always many things to be thankful for. All one has to do is stop dwelling on those things we aren’t thankful for (bills, illness, bad economy, political divisiveness and cars that needs repair) and the things we should be thankful for will shine through (children, plenty to eat, family that will always be there, sunny days and double rainbows).

So this Thanksgiving holiday, I’m going to not dwell on the negative, but instead choose to dwell on all that I have to thankful for. Like…

  • A husband who makes me laugh after all these years
  • A daughter who is turning out to be a remarkable young woman.
  • Her boyfriend who appreciates that remarkableness.
  • My brothers and sisters. Some I’ve known all my life and some I’m just getting to know.
  • My ex-stepfather for being my parent.
  • A bountiful harvest from our own garden, our CSA and all the farmers at the farmers’ market.
  • The community of this blog and the larger indie design/crafting/diy movement, were would I be without you all?!

What are YOU thankful for?

5 comments

  1. happy thanksgiving to you and your family!

    i’m thankful for a loving and supportive family. my husband and i recently relocated to the west coast from philadelphia, and my family, especially mom, has been there for us through thick and thin, and lots of skype video chatting!

  2. I love the photo! And I am thankful for so many things, but one special thing this year is realizing my dream of being an artist and upcycler with my own shop and the community that supports it!

  3. This is a wonderful post. Thank you for reminding us all that there are things to be thankful for even during rough times. I am thankful for my wonderfully reassuring and loving family and friends. I would be lost without them.

  4. I feel sort of the same way, though I have a pretty large family so it is always nice to see almost everyone together in one place.

    This year I’m thankful for my wonderful boyfriend, for finally finding a job (even if it is back in retail) and for the new friends I’m made through blogging and Etsy. 🙂

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