Thanksgiving 2020.
I have had so many mixed feelings leading up to this holiday, a holiday that has been my all-time favorite for as long as I can remember, and I have been a bit anxious about what it will be like emotionally.
Thanksgiving this year will be the first since my mom died, having fallen comatose Thanksgiving weekend last year. It will be the first year we are not traveling or surrounded by family, friends, and guests. The first year we will not all be crammed around the dining room table, snuggled up close and cozy, laughing and carrying on while playing our traditional board games. The first year we will not congregate in the kitchen, picking at the food with our fingers while holding random conversations. Yes, it will definitely be different this year, and my heart hurts a bit, and yet, the sentiment of what this day means to me will remain the same.
In a year that none of us could have ever imagined, I have become thankful for even more. Knowing loss has taught me the importance of recognizing my blessings and appreciating everything I have and who I have in it. This year, I may not physically be surrounded by family; however, I know that their love always surrounds me. I may not see their faces or get to hug them tight, but I know this is temporary and necessary for our physical well-being, making our eventual reunion that much more of a delight.
When I say my Thanksgiving grace, my heart knows what it will say. It will give thanks to those who went before me and created the traditions of which I speak. It will give thanks to my love, my kids, my family that just continues to grow. Welcome, sweet Ellie June. It will give thanks to my friends that take time to check-in. It will give thanks to my colleagues and clients who help my business grow and to those that mentor and coach me and push me to soar. It will give thanks for the roof over my head, the floor under my feet, and the ability to help others less fortunate than me. It will give thanks to the essential workers and health care workers that are working tirelessly, carrying the weight, and doing their best with little rest.
Thanksgiving 2020. It is a strange one indeed, yet gratitude abounds.
I wish each of you a day in which you seek joy, stay hopeful, count your blessings, laugh a little, and above all else, stay healthy, stay well.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.