Thankful

• • Canadians have been celebrating Thanksgiving for 144 years. It was formerly celebrated on the third Monday of October. In 1957, the Governor General of Canada officially moved it to the second Monday of October. Thanksgiving was originally celebrated as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. It is the most celebrated holiday in their country, even ahead of Christmas.  

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If someone was to ask you, "what are you thankful for?" and the answer could not include; family, health or happiness, how would you respond? How long would it take you to answer that question? I believe that we are so quick to say what we aren't thankful for, but being thankful takes a lot more thought. Today, I am going to share with you "four things" I am thankful for.    

The news is reporting that there is 7 million people in Canada that are eating less than their bodies require in other words they are hungry. The rising cost of food and housing are identified as some of the issues creating this dire situation. Simply put, 1 in 5 Canadians are facing hunger every day, that includes children. I heard the coordinator of the Winnipeg food bank and the organizer of the Thanksgiving dinner speak about the situation there. He stated that the demands on these places, has escalated to the point they can't keep up. They are not only feeding the homeless and immigrants but now it includes the working poor. Last year in Montreal, they prepared 10,000 meals for a Thanksgiving meal, this year it has doubled. They are turning people away from their hamper program. Their solution is to provide smaller hampers to more people. The families that previously got a hamper twice a month can now only receive one hamper. Imagine, you have no money for food, and you get one hamper a month to feed your family. It takes very little thought for me to be thankful for being able to buy and eat whatever food I want. I don't have to rely on the generous donations of others to eat. I have never experienced what they are calling a "food insecurity".

My hope is that everyone has a "true friend" in their lives. A true friend knows you better than you know yourself. They will send that random text of encouragement or support, just when you need it. True friends show up with the food in a time when you can't even think about food. When you are hurting, those special friends hurt more than you will ever know. They are strong for you, cry with you, be mad for you, whatever response you need, they are on it. They can also get you going and moving forward when that seems impossible. It is hard to describe what the definition of a true friend truly means to me. I hope you know you have made my thankful list and to be honest I don't know where I would be without you. 

People's god given ability amazes me. We all know those gifted people that can play an instrument without any music sheets. They get a sound out that instrument that no one knew was possible. Not to mention they are having a conversation while they are doing it. What about the people that can draw. I am in total awe of anyone who looks at a building and says "I am going to paint a mural on that wall", and they do. The end results are incredible and actually proportionate, which would be my biggest issue. The list could include many talents such as singing, cooking, organizing and so much more. I encourage each of you to think about what your god given ability truly is. For me, I can't play an instrument, sing or draw. I think my ability is to have a vision. That may mean changing a regular room into a party room or a warm living environment. Ideas come easily to me and so does the creativity to make them happen. I have been blessed to have great role models that have taught me to do the "right thing". I feel that everyone has a god given ability, and you should be proud of yourself for sharing that talent. I am asking you to join me in being thankful for our ability.   

I feel strongly that for me being thankful only comes from the life I have lived. If you have never had a dark time in your life, you are blessed. I am sure many of you are like me, and you have experienced a time in your life that you thought you would never get through, but you did. Maybe, the dark time in your life is happening right now. If you are struggling with something, I encourage you to grab onto it, and take charge. I describe it as, "knowing more". I found for me it was a process. First is accepting what was happening and deciding on what part of it I could own, so I could move forward. It seems, once I rely on others for solutions, it starts to unravel. The concept of knowing more has served me well, I feel it gives me more control. I am Thankful for the lessons I have learned from the past, and I am thankful for developing the ability to manage my own life lessons.   

                                     

I could make a substantial list of things I am thankful for. Things like a good cup of coffee will always make my list. Being able to afford to fill my car up with gas and drive wherever I want is part of my list. I am thankful that I am not working anymore, and I can write and knit as much as I want. I really have so much to be thankful for and I hope you feel the same way. 

In closing, I hope you really are having a good weekend. Embrace Thanksgiving in the manner that you choose. Many of you will be celebrating with your family today or tomorrow. Some of you will have a simpler take on the day and think of it as just another day. I hope my words have inspired you to remember all of the amazing things in your life. I am also hopeful that maybe a nugget of my words gives you the strength that you may need to face the challenges you call your life. I encourage you to write down four things you are grateful and thankful for; it will remind you of what this holiday is about. 

                                "Happy Thanksgiving Everyone"