Gratitude

Missing my family this week.  I can't remember a time when we weren't together for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Last year, Dennis and I spent Thanksgiving volunteering at the Lake City Senior City serving Thanksgiving dinners to over 500 families.  This year, we'll head to Hotel Ciudad de David for a Thanksgiving meal and the hopes of meeting other families in our new community.  
Holidays always give us a perspective.  Often, it is how we make connections.  Yes, there is a huge meal involved, and for many, a chance to step away from the daily routine of work and be with loved ones, whether they are family, friends, or other fellow human beings.  Those things transcend distance and I know my family and friends know they are in my heart this day and every day and that my love for all of them is not diminished by the miles between us.
Gratitude comes in many sizes.  I am grateful for all the people that have found a place in my life giving me so many rich and wonderful experiences.  I am grateful for all the opportunities I have been given for a comfortable life, an education, opportunities to serve, my health, travel, and a never ending desire for spiritual enrichment.
Each morning I say a blessing which includes opening my heart and letting healing blessings of love flow into my world.  I bless my family and friends, my neighbors and community, the people who have helped me and the ones who have challenged me to open my heart a little more, our leaders both spiritual and political, the young and aged, the sick and impoverished, the unawakened and the awakened, the ones facing hardships and the ones who give unceasingly.  I send blessings to our planet for healing and renewal of our earth, air, and water, and for the healing and protection of all living species. Knowing that we are all connected and dependent upon one another brings joy and gratitude for my bigger family.  To all my friends and family in the US, Canada, and Central America.   HAPPY THANKSGIVING!