Happy, Happy, Happy Thanksgiving! I hold each of you in prayer this morning as I sit, watching the sun come up on this beautiful Thanksgiving Day.

As a child, I grew up thinking that Thanksgiving was a time for family to gather. This was the part I enjoyed. It was a time for turkey and stuffing…I liked this part, too. And it was a time to watch parades and football…this piece I never quite understood, but it was a family tradition, as was eating until you thought you might pop! I spent the day in the kitchen, so I guess everyone got to do what made them happy. What never happened at our Thanksgiving dinners is giving thanks. There was never a prayer or a blessing of the food, unless bring on the turkey was our blessing. I never understood my family’s approach to celebrating Thanksgiving, but I suspect that it wasn’t unusual.

These days, I celebrate this blessed day by paying particular attention to all of the blessings in my life. Most years, I gather with family (either biological or spiritual, depending on the year) to share in our abundant blessings. To my delight, even my birth family no longer sits around the television…we talk, laugh, play games, and really enjoy the experience of being together. And before dinner, we pray. Evolution is most certainly occurring.

This year we are all celebrating this day of Thanksgiving a little bit differently. I am writing to encourage each of us to celebrate, nonetheless. Celebration is an important Spiritual Practice, and one that too often gets left out of our day-to-day experience. The sacred scriptures of the world tell us that celebration is not only important, it is a holy, creative act, an act of worship of, and devotion to, the Infinite Intelligence that is manifesting as all of creation. And by celebrating, we bring our awareness to the Joy that is inherent in us, our Divine Birthright, a quality of Spirit that is ever available.

In the book of Philippians in the Christian Bible, Paul encourages us to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

What would a metaphysical translation of these verses sound like? How about this? Celebrate the Loving and Lawful Presence that we call God, Infinite Intelligence, Universal Consciousness. Live in faith, without worry, trusting in Spirit to make all things right, to use all things for Good. Be grateful for everything; set purely motivated and thoughtful intentions; allow the Christ Consciousness within to lead you. Then your heart and mind will be peaceful.

Take notice…the passage begins with “Rejoice”. Celebrate. In Buddhism, rejoicing is a Dharmic Practice. The Buddha tells us to “rejoice in the accomplishments of others, rejoice in our own, rejoice for the sake of rejoicing.” Taoist Master Lao Tse invited us to “Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” And Greek Philosopher Horace, in the first century BCE, said, “Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.”

All of the world’s traditions know how important it is to celebrate…be grateful…dance and sing…smile. The Latin root of the word celebrate is to honor. And the root of rejoice is to experience joy or bring joy. This is what the celebration of Thanksgiving is about…honoring the Divine, honoring Life, honoring ourselves and honoring one another…and sharing in the Joy and Abundance of Life together. That is why we have spiritual community. To Celebrate and Support one another.

And so today, I offer you the gift of a story and a Practice, both taken from Lewis Richmond’s amazing book, Aging as a Spiritual Practice. It is my hope that they will aid you in celebrating the abundant blessings in your life. First the story:

“How many times a day do I say thank you? Ten times, twenty, perhaps fifty? I was sitting alone in my armchair reading when I had this thought. I started to say thank you to myself, over and over: thank you, thank you. At first it seemed mechanical and self-conscious. But soon I found that every time I said thank you, some picture came to mind. Thank you – and I would think of the tasty dinner I had just had. Thank you – and I noticed the book in my hand, and thought of the author who wrote it. Thank you – I glanced out the window and saw the streaks of red cirrus clouds in the setting sun. It was like taking a gratitude walk in my head, and I needed only this two-word phrase to call it up. I was like the Chinese monk who bowed to everything. This was my Thanksgiving Prayer.”

I find this to be a beautiful story and a powerful Practice. Maybe you want to add it to your personal celebration today.

And for most of us, being outdoors with our beautiful Mother Nature brings another opportunity to feel and express gratefulness. So why not take a gratitude walk today?

A gratitude walk is for noticing…I hold the thought of gratitude close and notice what catches my eye…I have discovered that almost anything can inspire gratitude – a tree, a leaf, a bird, a cloud, and especially a dog!

Lewis Richmond

So I invite you to see the opportunity in celebrating differently this year. Count it as an amazing blessing…the chance to slow down, to get quiet, to truly be grateful. Whether or not you are gathering with small circles of family and friends today or spending a quiet day alone, take the time this morning to acknowledge the Divinity within and all around you…to know you are loved, to recognize and count the many blessings in your life, and to appreciate every moment, every breath…for each one is a precious gift.

Know that today and always, I am here to support you.

Know that today and always, you are stronger and wiser than you know.

Know that today and always, Infinite Intelligence continues to pour Its blessings upon you, and upon our world.

May your day be showered with blessings…

May we all be well…stay in touch…know our unity…and thrive!

And may we know the Absolute Beauty and Wonder of this Grace-filled, once-in-a lifetime day…