HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I am late! It has already been an eventful Morning. Jamie woke me to tell me Noah had slid off the road and was in the ditch South of Bradford. He sent an e-mail from his cell phone; he couldn't reach us by our phone. Our phone was dead. Nothing, usually, one can hear something when a phone doesn't work. He was able to arrange a tow truck to extricate himself.

We had several inches of heavy, slushy, snow last night. It is beautiful the way it clings to the trees and bushes, but it doesn't make driving much fun. It is over forty degrees now, perhaps it will sink down a little.

It has been a strange few days. My hay man's truck broke down and he couldn't deliver the big bales of hay my sheep need. He was able to deliver a few square bales to get me by until he gets his equipment functioning. The sheep and I are grateful.

Since it is Thanksgiving Season, I would like to talk about gratitude. This is an ancient and oft repeated theme; the idea of counting our blessings. I wonder how many of us have discovered it works? I don't know how long ago I discovered it works.

When one has a day, like today, the phone doesn't work, your son went into the ditch with the truck, and there is almost a foot of slushy snow on the driveway, and we are expecting all the kids and grandkids for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Then, I realized, this Morning there is only feed enough, for the broilers, to last two days. Perhaps, one has spent three worrying days, wondering if the sheep were getting enough to eat.

One can pause, close your eyes. Be thankful. Noah got out of the ditch and he is home safe. The driveway is slippery but navigable. The Fedex man just brought a delivery [my new snow blower]. The hay man came last night and delivered enough hay to get me through for a week or so. Noah has a cell phone and we have e-mail and messaging so we can communicate. There will be no problem getting feed on Friday. Hey, there is really no problems. At least no problems worthy of mental anguish. And what problem has mental anguish ever cured?

I have found that whenever I am not peaceful. I can close my eyes bring my mind to the present; many times that is enough, if not, I can begin expressing [to myself] what I am thankful for. No matter, how bad things seem, I can always find a beginning. It doesn't matter how basic the beginning is; maybe it is being thankful that I can breathe freely or I am capable of being thankful.

Once we begin being thankful, a little light enters. With each thing we find to be thankful for, more light enters. Soon we can be thankful for the lightening of the mood. Perhaps we can be thankful for the beginning of peace. As more light flows in, we can be thankful for the love we feel. Soon we can be thankful for the love that surrounds us.

Thankfulness blends with forgiveness. When we struggle, to find things to be thankful for, situations may arise that beg for our forgiveness. The more forgiving we are, the easier it is to be thankful. Both thankfulness and forgiveness increase the light many times. We can find ourselves in a pool of love.

Almost, every night, when I first lie down in bed, I perform a thankfulness ritual. It wraps up my day and puts it away. It works! Thankfulness is very powerful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Love and Peace, Gregg