As we gear up for the busy holiday season, today I am taking the time to reflect on "gratitude" and the Thanksgiving holiday this upcoming week. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and this year I am feeling different about it than I have in the past. I cannot pin point the exact feeling, maybe melancholy?
I think with some of the work I've been doing in the grief area, I am feeling the duality of gratitude in grief. I know and honor the feeling that gratitude and grief can coexist, and it's okay to feel both. I think Thanksgiving reminds us to count our blessings, but for those of us carrying loss, it can also highlight what’s missing.
I'm reminding myself to slow down and feel the moments. Grief has taught me to appreciate stillness, to sit with the bittersweetness of memories and find gratitude in the love that remains. If we could all learn that slowing down lets us honor both the joy and the ache, this helps us create a space where healing can unfold.
Here are a few simple ways to find gratitude amid melancholy:
- Journaling a single meaningful memory or act of kindness each day (if you've been following me on socials I have been posting daily gratitude posts).
- Lighting a candle for loved ones as a gratitude ritual
- Writing a card to someone who has supported them through tough times
Gratitude isn’t always about joy—it’s about recognizing the threads of connection and resilience that keep us moving forward. This Thanksgiving, let’s embrace the beauty of a slower pace, allowing gratitude to sit beside our melancholy, knowing both are welcome at the table of our hearts.
I'm sending out blessings to you all for a heart of gratitude for this Thanksgiving season. Lean into those memories and focus on the lives lost and the memories you shared. As I always say TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER and this Thanksgiving season is no different; plan to be together with a loving family or friends and I will send out my prayers to all of you who are sitting alone in your grief thoughts.