| Today I’m keeping this short and sweet. After all, Thanksgiving Day is almost here and you have an awful lot to do. (4 grocery stores, 2 days – trust me, I get it.)
Whether you’re cooking a feast to feed a small army or simply showing up for a banquet prepared by someone else’s hands, you can cook up a Thanksgiving with a little something more.
As you prepare for the holiday, as you experience the day, as you cook, clean and serve, leave a little room for a calorie-free, but rich and luscious dessert: 5 minutes alone.
All you have to do to have it is…Nothing.
Hard to believe, right?
I know. I’m a product of that good old Protestant work ethic, too. You know the one. It goes something like, “you must work hard to reap any rewards.”
But I’m calling bull puckey on that puppy.
This is one of those times when less is actually more.
When things get to be a little much, when you start to feel stressed out or overwhelmed, when your Aunt Millie gets all up in your jam about how you make the stuffing, take 5 minutes alone to do nothing.
Find a quiet space or head outdoors.
Breathe deeply. Breathe rhythmically. Feel your lungs expand as they fill and feel the release as you exhale.
Close your eyes. Listen to the sounds around you. The low hum of conversation, the clattering of dishes, or the ringing of the doorbell.
And then listen more deeply to hear the easily missed distant background noises. The sound of the furnace kicking on, a plane flying overhead, the wind stirring things up, or the rain drumming on the window.
Sit with it. Welcome it. Embrace it.
Notice your feelings.
Peace. Happy. Calm Relaxed.
If you’re worried what people will think, tell them you are celebrating the day by offering a silent prayer of thanksgiving. Tell them you’re counting your blessings. Tell them you’re taking a few moments to take stock of all the things for which you are grateful. Tell them whatever you want or tell them nothing at all.
It doesn’t really matter.
In the end, people won’t remember that the butter knife was on the wrong side of the plate. They won’t remember that the gravy was a little lumpy. They won’t remember how you scurried around striving for perfection.
People will remember and appreciate the tone you set for the day. They will remember your peace. Your happiness. Your calm. Some will even respond in kind.
This is ease. This is abundance. This is gratitude.
This is Thanksgiving with a little something more.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Counting my blessings,
Theresa |
