Embracing the Wonderful Things

Giving thanks on a day set aside for just that.

November 23, 1978, Philadelphia, PA, Gimbel’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

I'm sitting at my desk on this quiet Thanksgiving morning, watching the sunrise melt the frost on the ground.

I'm trying to enjoy it, not taking moments like these for granted.

Over forty years ago yesterday, I stood outside on a cold November morning in Philadelphia to march in one of the televised Thanksgiving Day parades.

That’s me on the far left, the trombone player you can barely see behind the drum major.

Many wonderful memories of this holiday come back to me.

We’d often travel the country roads of rural Indiana to spend Thanksgiving with my great uncle and great aunt, who were farmers.

Talk about a feast! All from their farm.

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These days my grown-up kids come with their kids. Still a feast and a wonderful family time.

As the name implies, the holiday is more than a chance to eat; it is a time for reflection and appreciation for the many blessings in our lives.

On this day set aside for gratitude, I invite you to a specific and distinct reflection.

Our challenge is as humans, the more often we see the things around us, even the beautiful and wonderful things like holidays and family, the more they can become invisible to us.

Because we see things so often, we sometimes see them less and less.

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🌀 Here’s the reflection.

🌱 What can you do to more consciously embrace the wonderful things, even those you see all the time?

🌱 As you head into the holiday season, think about something or someone beautiful in your life that you haven't 'noticed' for a while and notice them.

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