Thanksgiving ...

Author, Madeleine L'Engle, wrote the following as she reflected on a scene from the play, Our Town:

In Our Town, after Emily has died in childbirth, Thornton Wilder has her ask the Stage Manager if she can return home to relive just one day. Reluctantly he allows her to do so. And she is torn by the beauty of the ordinary, and by our lack of awareness of it. ... She asks the Stage Manager, 'Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?' And he sighs and says, 'No. The saints and poets, maybe. They do some.'

Awareness of "the beauty of the ordinary" can become a source of enormous thanks-giving if we can only take the time to be more mindful. As we are able to live more in the moment, we are able to apprehend the beauty in the small things - a baby's smile, the smell of autumn bonfires, the feel of a toddler's hand curled around your finger, the crispness of the air, the laughter of kids playing hockey in the street, the colour of the changing leaves, the warmth of a shower after a cold afternoon putting the garden to bed, the fragrance of a cup of tea as you curl up with a good book... so many things.

May I encourage each of us to notice and share our gratitude for at least a few "ordinary things" as we spend time with family and friends this holiday weekend. And, if you will be on your own, perhaps take a moment to write a list of "ordinary things" for which you're grateful in your journal and notice what a difference it can make to your perspective.

With every blessing for a safe and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours,

Jan