Being Thankful
Being Thankful
I love this work by John O’Donohue and wanted to share it with you:
On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.
And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green,
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.
We can all agree that we have been through a rough patch this year. The Pandemic has disrupted our lives in so many ways. Way back in March, we had to absorb the initial news about COVID-19, followed by the challenges with trying to figure out how to stay safe and take care of our basic needs like food, readjusting our lives and our schedules as “shelter in place” restrictions were imposed. Understandably, in the beginning the doctors and scientists faced the challenge of collecting enough reliable information to guide us through this period.
We’ve had to witness the tragedies of so many people dying, people being out of work, local businesses closing, etc. And I suspect many of you like me worried about what it might mean for me if I contracted the virus.
And in the midst of all of this, we found ourselves trying to make sense out of one of the most vicious campaign and presidential election years.
The election is behind us and we’re approaching Thanksgiving in the next week. Whether by choice or not, many of us are having to create new ways of celebrating the holiday if we are fearful of gathering with large groups for an extended period of time.
In all of this turmoil, we need to take time to pause and to appreciate all that we have. Perhaps with the breaking news that it looks like a COVID vaccine is not that far away, it is indeed a time to reflect and give thanks for all of the blessings that have been bestowed on us, individually and collectively.
May you find the time to be grateful and to find deeply rewarding ways to share your gratitude with others.
