Thanksgiving always brings reflection. Or at least, it should. It should be the one day of the 365 where we slow our pace and stop to think about our lives, what we are grateful for and what we too often take for granted in our daily lives.
I was especially pensive this Thanksgiving, as I spent the majority of it alone. I decided to stay in New York City and go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, something I have dreamed about experiencing since I was a little girl, watching it on t.v. from start to finish each Thanksgiving Day, wide-eyed, for the past 29 years. Standing by Central Park and watching the floats, bands and people go by was a childhood dream realized and totally worthwhile staying. But, spending a Thanksgiving alone does bring more time to really think about things.
I felt strong and independent, and I also felt lonely today without my family. When not surrounded by the comfort of family on a day such as this, their importance in your life is reinforced. I missed my boyfriend, mom and dad, sister and brother-in-law, two precious nephews and grandmothers. Family cannot be replaced, and I am so thankful to have such an amazing one.I am abundantly grateful for my life. The freedom and the choices that I have. The ability to travel and see the world the way that I have and continue to get to do. For my job and the options its given me. For incredible friends that have walked with me through so many stages of life. For personal growth and that I'm not the same person that I was 5 years ago, and how the journey of life brings beautiful things into the heart and the soul.
I'm thankful that my nephew, Peyton, is now a thriving and healthy little 11 month old boy, after coming into the world unexpectedly early last December at only 23 and 1/2 weeks of growth. I still can't look at a picture of him now and not get teary-eyed.
I'm sitting in an airport bar right now and it's completely deserted. Just me, the bartender and my glass of Pinot Noir. Apparently most people don't travel on Thanksgiving. I'm traveling south to be with loved ones, and I cannot wait to get there. My trip out to the airport on the subway led to some interesting thoughts. Subway rides always give me a time to quiet my soul and think about things, observe other people and think about my life.
Even on a day of thanks such as this, so many people looked tired today. Not just lacking in sleep, but seeming to have a tiredness of soul. It made me sad to see, and it felt strange going from watching Santa bring in Christmas with jubilee and rolling laughter on Central Park West next to chandeliered multi-million dollar mansions, to seeing the tired and despairing faces of so many who share this city with me.
As I traveled further into Queens and soon was surrounded by first generation Americans, I could no longer hear the English language, and it made me wonder if these people knew about Thanksgiving. Of course they know about it, but do they feel a connection to this country yet in the way that so many of us do? Is every day a struggle and the thought of gathering around a dining room table with a feast-like spread a fleeting thought? America is such a dynamic mix of people and stories, and there is a new generation of Americans that are far removed from the Anglo-Saxon pilgrims with tophats and buttoned suspenders. This man was playing the saxophone for quarters and dollar bills in the subway today. He was unbelievably talented and could give Kenny G a run for his money. It made me wonder where his family was, why he was there in that dirty subway station on Thanksgiving Day, and how he ended up playing there instead of playing in high-end venues among the Manhattan socialites.
I hope that every person, no matter their culture, can have some things in their lives that they are grateful for, even if their life is a life of struggle. To all who read this, Happy Thanksgiving. May your heart overflow with love and your year be one of positive change, peace, and abundant blessings.
Lovely thoughts Ash - and a great awareness of the splendid diversity around us. So much to be thankful for and so much empathy needed, too. For those who go without. Happy Thanksgiving, friend. xo.
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