Feeling thankful

Thanksgiving is a day set aside to celebrate the harvest and give thanks for our bountiful world. It is a bountiful world, although the bounty is unevenly distributed. Greed, geography, politics, climate change, and economic systems all play a role. I feel one of my responsibilities, as a privileged Canadian, is to lessen my draw on resources so there can be more available to others and to share what I have. Sometimes that feels okay. Sometimes it feels futile. And that's when I reflect on what I am grateful for, how I can be a better human being, and what I need to feel comfortable with myself.

I enjoy gardening; I like the smell and feel of the earth, the deep satisfaction of providing my family with food that I grew, and filling the house with flowers from my garden. I was delighted to teach my grandson to garden and was overjoyed at his reaction to his very first radish crop.

Some seasons aren't great - like this year. Many people had stunted crops and poor harvests. A group of people started posting pictures of their tiny produce on Facebook. So I posted this picture of my little Lego tractor and a cherry tomato. It's all about persective. If you have an abundance, it's easy to forget that some other folks don't have much of anything.

I am so thankful for my health. Without a stem cell transplant I wouldn't be alive today. My sister Sharon was the donor, my husband was my caregiver, a team of professionals looked after me and I am now well. I am thankful for the beautiful home we have, the safe community we live in, and the beautiful forests, mountains and beaches that surround us.

I am thankful for my family. My mom and dad were intelligent, supportive, hard-working folks. Strong, resilient and ethical. They taught me to follow my curiousity and my instincts; to maintain a strong moral compass and stand up for what I believed in. My siblings and I had a lovely childhood. We went fishing, camping, exploring and visiting our extended family. I remember my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and my many cousins. I still see some of those cousins and am so grateful that they are well and happy. My son and daughter have brought so much joy to my life, and their kids are expanding on that joy. I know many people don't have kids or grandkids and spend Thanksgiving alone. Our kids were all somewhere else for turkey dinner, so Robert and I celebrated together. I felt loved and circled by family, even in their absence.

Perspective matters. I keep in mind that most "stuff" is unimportant; that my health, my family, my integrity and values are what really matter in my life. For that I am truly thankful.