I love Thanksgiving. Isn’t it great to have a holiday that’s really all about giving thanks?! While it’s certainly important to practice thankfulness every day, I’m celebrating that our culture holds space for Gratitude on this national holiday. It really is commendable that, as a collective, we share a day focused on remembering what we’re thankful for.
Thanksgiving offers many opportunities, not only for gratitude, but for forgiveness, generosity and cultivating peace. For so many of us, Thanksgiving is a time to be with our family,indeed, many travel great distances to be with their family. And often, there is more of a sense of apprehension, resistance and discomfort at the thought of seeing and being with family members than there is enthusiasm and joyful anticipation. What a great opportunity to notice where we hold resentment, fear, judgement or grievances of any kind. What a fabulous time to practice forgiveness and allow a deeper healing of ourselves and our family.
Gratitude and Forgiveness are really very alike. When we are grateful we are giving thanks. We are giving the energy of thankfulness, the joy of gratitude. Gratitude cannot be contained: it must be given in order to be had. We must share gratitude in order to experience its joy. And, it’s the same with forgiveness. Notice, it is for-giving. Forgiveness is generosity. It is giving and honoring the peacefulness of sharing our heart, the heart.
Givingness comes from remebering our oneness, our not-twoness or not-separateness. Givingness is validation of Spirit, for Spirit is whole, undivided, One. Gratitude is the effect of choosing to validate spirit, to honor the truth of our wholeness. And, it is the same with forgiveness. When we forgive, we are really seeing and honoring the truth: that we are not separate, that if I hold a grievance about anything or anyone, I am condemning myself. Givingness says, I will give to you in order to give to myself. I will give you appreciation and validation of your light, your beingness, your divinity. Then, gratitude celebrates the joy of our union, our wholeness. And peace becomes our only reality.
