Grat*i*tude

Thanksgiving is, by far, my favorite holiday. And it has nothing to do with the food. Seriously.

I love this holiday, not because I'm given permission to be excited about those things for which I'm thankful, but because, for whatever reason, our family s.l.o.w.s. down during this time. Vacation days are taken from work. Vacation days are taken from school. And we go slow. And we go together. Meals are planned by the condition of our tummies, not that of a clock. Bedtimes are flexible. Sunrise wakings are optional. Coffee flows almost all day, along with continuous jugs of water. We do it right, during this time of year. And by doing so, I easily get enough 'fuel' to continue on this spectrum (as best I can) until our Summer holiday, when we'll do it all again!

Don't get me wrong. I love !LOVE! the vibration of a thankful community. I appreciate the difficulty in remaining in a state of gratitude, so hearing words of thankfulness from friends, families, my neighbors, these are wonderful ways to feel connected. Nurturing a sense of gratitude in my young children is almost more important to me than teaching them to read. I'm not sure how to do this, exactly, in this age of instant-gratification, toy shelves bulging at eye level, Disney characters on the packaging of sliced apples sold at the grocery store. My successes & failures in this regard are often shaded by unmitigated quantity of children in this place (four isn't really that many, honest) and their own successes and stumbles in understanding and celebrating their riches. But they'll get it. I'm sure of it.

This year we are starting a new tradition - I love this aspect of having a young family....we are still deciding our traditions - I took an old tablecloth and wrote on it a meaningful quote about gratitude, and having enough. As we celebrate this Thanksgiving and those of years to come, I hope to fill this tablecloth with the art and words of my children. I can't wait for the conversations that will grow around the table from this annual tradition. It's these moments, surrounded by the life and voices of my children, across the table from my husband, that I find most filling.

May this holiday leave you feeling nurtured. Nurtured and full of life, and full of appreciation for the simple.