The second Monday in October is the day we Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day. This national holiday for us was born out of a rich tradition that includes harvest celebrations by the First Peoples who lived on this land, ceremonies of gratitude by explorers who survived the treacherous journey across the Atlantic, and religious-based observances. Personally, I love that our annual observance has its roots in so many different celebrations.The varied traditions remind me that gratitude isn’t just one thing, nor does it always look just one way.
This year, and this week, I am experiencing gratitude as its own gift.
There is much in my life for which I am grateful. and this time of year is a valuable reminder to be intentional about recognizing the abundance. Yet, this “making a list” kind of gratitude often feels a bit hollow to me. Yes, I am grateful for family, physical safety and food security. Because I have the immense privilege of living where I do, it’s easy to take this abundance for granted. I don’t want to be careless with my blessings, and yet, in my humanity, I don’t always connect with just how privileged I am.
We have recently returned home after an extended absence. We had adequate shelter, food and safety where we were, and also we slept every night on a mattress not of our choosing. I prepared our meals in a kitchen organized differently from my preference, using dishes and implements chosen by someone else. Grocery shopping was more complicated that the weekly excursion to which I have become accustomed.
As I settle back into our own home, I’ve been surprised by a spontaneous rise of gratitude multiple times a day, stirred by the smallest of details. I love having tea in my own extra large mug, revel in the perfect spray coming from the shower head in my own bathroom, and revel in easy access to the workout classes where I feel part of a community.
My gratitude these days is in no way a rote response. I feel it viscerally. There is a warmth in my heart space. Delight prompts a smile I can feel in my own eyes.
I’m also noticing how my attention to these moments is connecting me with a felt sense of gratitude for the bigger things, as well. I feel the beauty of the life my Favourite Person and I have built together, the heartfelt connections that stretch across time and distance, the comfort of our home and routines.
It feels as if I’m seeing my life with a kind of innocence, not unlike taking a walk with my children when they were toddlers. The rocks and bugs and sticks that were mundane to me were sources of wonder and discovery for my little ones. I feel that same sense of wonder and discovery in this moments of reacquainting myself with what had been familiar.
I never expected to be surprised by gratitude. I do appreciate that cultivating it is a soul-practice, but what I’m experiencing is pure Spirit-gift. It never occurred to me that it could come to me of its own accord, without my straining for it. My hope is that by continuing to pay attention to this gift, I will continue its flourishing in me.
Have you ever been surprised by gratitude? I would love to hear from you in the comments if you have. In sharing our stories, may we all grow in our appreciation of the gift.
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