I hope you have a glorious and grateful November. This month reminds me to take time for remembrance and giving thanks. Since my mom died in 2010, I have been more aware of The Day of the Dead, or what I now think of as a time for remembrance and dancing in the graveyards. Do you know the song by Delta Rae? In my book, The Girl Who Dances With Delight, I talk about ways I waded through the depths of grief and despair to choose to dance with delight more often including dancing with my mom’s memory. I invite you to take a moment today to celebrate the best memories of loved ones that have gone on into the heavenly mystic before you and maybe dance with them some more today.
In the United States, November is also the month of the Thanksgiving holiday. Of course, I am so very grateful for the loving memories I have of my mom and others in addition to my current blessings and new friends and family. I’ve always loved the idea of a Thanksgiving holiday… not based on the ideas I learned in school about it or the historical reasons, which actually sadden me due to the treatment of Native Americans over the past several hundred years. Rather, I appreciate the reminder to focus on the blessings in life, both big and seemingly small. My boys happened to be born the day before Thanksgiving. They were 3 months early and the doctors weren’t so optimistic in the beginning for their survival. Every year when we celebrate their birthdays near Thanksgiving, I remember how fortunate we are that they are thriving now.
This year, I’ve also been reading a book called Passenger by Alexandra Bracken. It has reminded me how much I have to be thankful for right here and now! The main character is a woman that travels through time. A portion of the book takes place in 1776 and does a great job of transporting the reader there with her… to a time before women could vote, when there was still slavery, when transportation was so different, the smells quite overwhelming, and there was no indoor plumbing or electricity or hot showers. My Grammie is celebrating her 95th birthday today! Wow, so much has changed during her lifetime.
I am so thankful for the stories she has shared with me and for all the women (and men) who stood up for my current freedoms. I’m also thankful that someone was able to come to our home last week to fix the heat before freezing temperatures set in and that we have a wood stove in the basement. Speaking of fires, I love to get cozy with a good book next to a crackling fire, whether inside or outside like a camp fire. I also love to sit on the porch in the warm sunshine while reading this time of year. I’ve started sharing book suggestions through a fireside or porch pick of the month in my newsletters. You can sign-up at ThriveTrue.com/MagicMail. I adore the pick for this month that features lovely poetry and paintings of birds from an awesome author and illustrator team.
What does Thanksgiving mean to you? I’d love to hear from you in the comments (even if you don’t celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this month like I do in the United States).
Wishing you a Happy Thanks Giving (Every Day!) from my family to yours.
Blessed Be,
Jules
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