My friend Karen planned a Friendsgiving celebration for the residents at the healthcare home where her mother lives. We decorated the tables with tall lanterns filled with tiny lights and red, orange, and yellow silk leaves. Then we added stuffed pumpkins and sprinkled candy at each place. During the celebration, the elderly ladies and gentlemen taught me an important lesson. After participants had listened to a devotion about friendship and played games, they gathered around the tables to share some of their blessings. Their lists included life, family, friends, good memories, sunny days, chocolate cake, and many more. When…
Tag: give thanks
When Thanksgiving’s Not the Same: Three Ways to Recover Gratitude
Ungrateful. Unsettled. Unexcited. I’m sorry to admit that was the state of my heart when I first contemplated Thanksgiving this year. My gratitude journal reflected numerous blessings, but the thought of another holiday without my mother saddened me. Mama was the heart of festivities for every holiday gathering. She created traditions that made Thanksgiving my favorite day of the year–decorations and flower arrangements, prayer in a circle with family holding hands, croquet games after lunch, Monopoly after supper. What I miss most is being loved by her and hugging her. Oh, the Thanksgiving meal– the world’s best dressing, steamed cauliflower…