Celebrating Abundance in 2021

What does Thanksgiving mean to you? Do you immediately think of your favorite dish, piled high and piping hot, or does your heart warm with thoughts of family members who'll arrive from afar? Do you dig into your faith and get closer to God? Maybe you love gathering with friends who bring you much-needed laughter and joy. When November rolls around, I usually begin thinking about Thanksgiving and the coming holiday season. Often, this happens with my hair on fire, as I start to stress about the chaos that will ensue. This year, I wanted to take a few minutes to explore the idea of a Thanksgiving and what it's meant to people historically… and now. Though we've all learned the story of the first Thanksgiving, the idea of a Fall harvest celebration dates back much further than that big day in 1621, and has been a part of many different cultures through the years, including ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Jews and Native Americans. A Thanksgiving celebration--ancient and current alike--often centers around people gathering in unity to celebrate abundance, recognize peace, share stories of struggle and triumph, and express hope for strength and good fortune to come. It's a time to reflect, prepare fresh food with love, and express gratitude for the blessings we've received. It's also a time to extend ourselves and give back to our communities, so the good fortune can be shared. The spiritual component of Thanksgiving is the essential ingredient of all historical celebrations of this kind. Quite simply, these traditions are marked by giving thanks to God. In doing a little reading on the subject, I saw one viewpoint that highlighted the role of relationship in Thanksgiving traditions. In particular, Thanksgiving as an occasion to reflect on three key relationships: your relationship to God, your relationship to yourself and your relationship to the earth. I like this concept and wanted to dig in a little bit…

Man to God. Whatever your spiritual inclinations, I think this means examining how you relate to your higher power--be it God, or nature or the universe. What gifts have you been given this year? Even tiny gifts can add up to big things. If you take a moment, can you recognize all the areas in your life where you're being supported or lifted up? Can you spot a Divine hand in events and outcomes you've experienced? For me, this year, I'm learning how to lean into faith and trust that what results will be of the highest good for all involved. And this is surprisingly liberating. Having a daily gratitude practice helps remind you that there are always things to appreciate in your life. Taking stock at a time like Thanksgiving allows you to put your trials and tribulations into perspective. Though it may seems like there are many struggles to overcome, there are also so many things going right. Let's recognize them and honor the ebb and flow as part of this beautiful, often messy, life experience. Man to self. I think of this as a review of how I treat myself and how I treat my fellow man. If you've read any of my previous posts, you'll know that I think of self-care as nothing short of medicine for the soul. Self-compassion changes the lens through which I view the world and my experiences in it. When I'm kinder to myself, I recognize the need for better self-care and I actively commit to doing things that make my body healthy and bring peace to my mind. When you're unkind to yourself, it's pretty hard to be kind to anyone else. That's why self-compassion is foundational to treating others with kindness and care as well. How successful have I been at remembering that my fellow man is an extension of myself? Can I leave comparison and defensiveness behind and instead act from a place of love? How can I serve others more, especially during this time when we celebrate a bountiful life? Man to earth. If you wander into your local grocery store, it's easy to see that most of us live in a state of excess. Foods from around the world are piled high on table after table. Want mangoes in winter? No problem! Out-of-season veggies are shipped across the globe to make it convenient for us to eat what we want, when we want. Mass commercial farming practices have depleted the soil of essential nutrients, making us deficient and compromising our health. There is definitely a connection between our health and the health of the planet! This earth is the source of all of our natural resources, and smart, strategic ways to utilize them means not only better well-being for us but for our children and our children's children. How do we take what we need, enabling the continued use of natural lands to provide clean, sustainable resources? Are we being good stewards of the land, ensuring that garbage and chemicals don't find their way into the waterways and ecosystems that support us and other life forms? Pausing to think about our blessings should include a look at what role each of us can play in creating a better environment for all who use this planet. What lessons can we learn about the meaning of abundance? As we hurtle towards another holiday season, I like these words from https://www.goodnet.org/articles/spiritual-abundance-as-positive-response-to-our-current-challenges Mar 17, 2020: "In a spiritual context, the notion of abundance or plenty is less about material conditions, revolving instead around an appreciation of life in its fullness, joy and strength of mind, body and soul. This is the cultivation of respect for the creative energy of the universe." Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! May you and yours enjoy a bountiful season of abundance- in all senses of the word.