Give Thanks

I have learned over the years to recognize the vast importance of being thankful in day-to-day life. No matter how many things are not going well, acknowledging those things for which you are grateful, however small they may seem, can shift your focus, put you in a whole new place, and ultimately change your experience of your life. Sometimes this is easier said than done. Being thankful for what you have is something to work at, and remind yourself of from time to time. Let’s face it, life is not always sunshine and roses. It can sometimes be rough, things will go awry, and crazy things may come at you out of nowhere. The fine line between having an awful time and an enjoyable one is all in our frame of mind and perspective.

Last November, I stitched these “Give Thanks” flags as a sort of affirmation. I made them to hang by the front door of our first home when we hosted a country Thanksgiving dinner for friends, and it got me thinking about the holiday and what it’s all about.  At that time last year, my husband was laid off from work, but we still had a home of our own with a little piece of land, we had two wonderful children, we had a woodstove to keep us warm, we had a pantry stocked with food that I gathered and preserved, we had our health, we had our chickens, and we had good friends to come share the holiday with us. We remained thankful for all those good things, and it saw us through those particularly hard times.

In many ways, this blog is a sharing of all those good things in life for which I am most thankful. The hard-earned fruits of my labor, the homesteading dreams, the camping, the cooking, the adventures, the small things that catch my eye, and the simple pleasures of a simpler life…writing about these is a sort of thanks-giving. It is my hope that other folks will find some inspiration here to go on out and do the things that they love, or reflect on those things that bring them joy. It’s a celebration of daily life, like an ongoing Thanksgiving without the turkey, dressing, and pecan pie.

This year we were not able to travel to Washington for the family gathering due to my husband having to work and all the responsibilities of establishing a small farm and working the land. That was hard, and I don’t think they’re very happy with us, but we are still grateful for my husband to have a job again, and grateful to have this land to work and call our own. All of our mulching and weeding and field preparations will produce wonderful things this summer. There is much to be thankful for.

Today I am thankful for my family, my home, good friends, a full pantry, wild outdoor places, all my wild outdoor adventures, the Waldorf School, my children’s teacher, wool, all the customers who have supported my handcrafting business, the garden, chickens, our local organic farms, good folk music, and just to have arrived at a place in life where I am doing many of the things I love to do. (And I’m always thankful for pie. Expect to hear more about pie.)

So, always remember to ask yourself what you are thankful for, and give thanks.