Thanksgiving 2020

Thanksgiving 2020. A far cry from the 2019 day of grace and turkey. This year, Thanksgiving is a day of reflection, centered around gratitude always, but also tainted by the melancholy over the loss and grief of a global pandemic, the realization of the precariousness and tenuousness of our lives and our ineptitude at controlling our external environment. For a generation that can barely remember the impacts of the financial crash of 2008 and of past global conflicts, 2020 is its first major test of “Life Happening”.

I remember enjoying family around this time last year as I was busy planning my two-week trek through Europe, excited at the prospect of starting the new decade with renewed purpose and dedication to a better me. The lessons came, and there were many, but not as expected. And Oh, Boy! The things I have learned in the past year!

I’ve learned that life is to be lived fully in the present moment for it is so unpredictable and the next moment is not promised. I’ve learned that, absent the noise and distractions of the world, we have no choice but to turn inwards for the strength and joy needed to sustain us. This Joy is called serenity and is grounded in Faith. Faith becomes our lifeline when we must adjust to adverse circumstances without certainty of the outcome, but still trusting that all will be well. Faith. Serenity.

Serenity arrives when we acknowledge our inability to maintain control and we gently let our faith guide us into surrendering. As a result, we find ourselves stronger than ever. Many may choose to believe that surrendering is the equivalent of giving up. It is quite the contrary: surrendering has nothing to do with defeatism. When we surrender, we stop wasting energy on fighting our circumstances and acknowledge our dependence on a Higher Power. We start witnessing the miracle of our own transformation that leads us to view our circumstances in a new light, gaining us unshakable serenity and strength. Surrender. Serenity. Strength.

This strength fuels us into action. For we have now matured and learned a few things about ourselves and we are eager to share what we learned with others. In the silence within, we discovered our purpose and love for all that exists, including ourselves.

This could not happen at a better time. There is much pain and suffering around; and those of us that achieve serenity contribute to the lessening of the chaos and tempering of the agitation of the world. We have become the blessed ones called upon to become the new Angels to those who are in pain and suffer. Let us absorb this new reality and revel in who we have become.

As such Angels, let’s us make of Thanksgiving 2020 a day worthy of gratitude, a day when we give of ourselves and contribute to the happiness of others. The opportunities are endless.

We can choose to:

• Support restaurants and their employees by ordering our Thanksgiving Dinner
• Replenish community kitchens and food pantry for those suffering from food insecurity.
• Work with homeless shelters to help alleviate the needs of that population
• Call, write to seniors and those who live alone to lessen their feelings of solitude
• Partner with others to provide Thanksgiving Dinners to families in need
• And so much more

Let’s give others a reason to be thankful! And contribute to the Circle of Joy.

Happy Thanksgiving 2020!