Much to be thankful for...

Thanksgiving is my favorite festival.  I hate the way Christmas has been co-opted by gift giving and Valentine's can feel so competitive or isolating.  But here all we have to do is think about what we are thankful for and eat together.  

I love that the meal is the same or similar every year.   I like traditional foods.  The very first time I cooked a turkey was our first thanksgiving in the US and I was in my 30's.  I went to the New York Times, found a recipe,  followed it to the letter and hey presto,  we had Thanksgiving.  Over the years I have modified recipes and my son has become the turkey master (as well as baking a really fabulous apple pie) 

And then to the gratitude part.  I love the idea of dedicating time to being thankful.  There is much to be thankful for,  even during the hard years.  It can be easy to focus on what is wrong,  harder sometimes to shine a light on what is good.  So I'm grateful to have time where the focus shifts and we think about what we are thankful for.

Here is one charming Thanksgiving story,  about chance meetings via text and continued friendship.  Which to my mind is what Thanksgiving can be all about... 

I'm wishing you light and goodness and a year that gives you much to be thankful for. 

Puppy Love

I had a reading the other day where a woman told me of a new man she was dating.  His biggest sadness after his last break up was losing custody of the dog, and my client,  who volunteered at a shelter,  offered to find him one. She came across the perfect pup and he met her and brought the dog home.  They have been dating for about 6 months now,  he’s had the dog for around 4 months,  and she said that she knows this is irrational,  but one of the things that just goes right to her heart is how easily and often he says “I love you” to the puppy,  when he has never said it to her.  And I smiled at her and said “but he owns the dog.  He knows that puppy isn’t going anywhere!”

Humans are so much more complicated, harder to approach, easier to betray, can prioritize work or family or other foolish things above you.  Dogs are simple things to love.  Though feeling love and saying it, even if it is to a puppy, is at least good practice at expressing emotions.  The cards liked him, and she likes him very much, and we are hopeful that he will speak to her soon of love…