Giving Thanks Means Giving Love

Everyone in the U.S. knows that November is the month commonly associated with giving thanks, gathering with friends and family to break bread, and preparing to splurge over the holiday season. I just wanted to share a few words that came into my heart about giving thanks.

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When we ask children what they are most thankful for, their answers are often obvious and spontaneous. They mention their parents or families, their provisions, their toys and friends, and similar things. Children can usually make a quick inventory of the good things in their lives when asked.

As adults, we sometimes find it much more challenging to make a list of all that we truly appreciate, simply because we are no longer in the habit of doing so. Following the norm of the masses, we learn to make lists of problems, challenges, and unhappy memories, recounting these things to others and ourselves in order to gain sympathy or understanding. How often do we practice listing the things that we are delighted with, the good things that happen to us, and the people who add value and joy to our lives? How often do we give appreciation to ourselves?

I believe that it is possible to have a daily practice of thanksgiving, or appreciation, in which we direct our minds to dwell on all the magnificent and wondrous things that are going right for us. Our very lives are a celebration of the goodness of the Infinite Intelligence that loves and directs our world in perfect order and harmony. Seeing that good, even if only in small measure, magnifies all good in our awareness. Appreciation, or giving thanks, is really a gift that we give to ourselves.

So here I would like to give thanks and appreciation to you, wherever and whenever you may be! Giving thanks is giving love. Aloha!

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