November brings a chill to the air and a warm, grateful feeling to the heart. Or at least that’s how I normally experience the month. But in 2020, there isn’t much that’s been normal, and I anticipate November and Thanksgiving being another different-than-normal event.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday; it gathers everyone, regardless of background or belief, to a table of gratitude. There’s good food and good feelings. But what do you during a pandemic when feeling grateful is just plain tough? Our collective focus this year has been on fear, disease, fire, unrest. We don’t see justice. We look around and it’s hard to feel thankful.
In times likes these, it's especially important to find gratefulness. We might need to dig deeper and look further than usual. We have to find the silver linings. That warm, grateful feeling that usually arrives in November won’t come on its own. You have to nurture gratitude even when – especially when – times are tough.
The choice to be grateful comes with many benefits. Gratefulness has been shown to build up both our psychological and physical immune systems. The practice of gratitude also helps us stay more grounded and optimistic.
So, here are some things I’m going to give thanks for during this November. I’m thankful for a table to gather around and the food on it. I'm thankful for the slower than normal pace the pandemic has given me. I'm thankful for the people who make up my tribe. And, I'm thankful for a backyard that has provided extra space as we spend so much more time at home. And, as always, but especially this year, I’m thankful for my health.
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you find your silver linings.
We're grateful to have Katrina Watland contribute to this month's Corners Of The Heart. Her kind heart and sweet spirit is one we knew would speak directly to this approaching season of Thanksgiving. We embrace her thought to find our Silver Linings.