It’s Been Awhile…

Last we chatted, I was going to take a short break for the summer, have back surgery, and return in September. Instead, what has followed is some complications from the surgery, which have left me with limited mobility and my own period of questioning and self-reflection. Ironically, one of the last interviews I did on my podcast was with Katherine May about Wintering; it has been a great guide.

Physically, I think I have turned a corner, and the doctors are figuring it out, which is fantastic! But the percolating and questioning of my Wintering continues, and even though it has not been easy, I am surprisingly welcoming the spaciousness and wonder it has provided.

I will not be doing the Season of Self-Loyalty for the first time in years. I debated and debated this one, and it was a tough decision not to do it this year. But one thing I am learning during this time is that self-loyalty is way messier than I thought it was. So, I am going to pause something that was initially designed to bring my holiday peace, but over the past couple of years, it has become more of a to-do not to disappoint others. I am surprised how much I see that trend in my life these days.

I hope you are well!

In honor of Thanksgiving and gratitude, I wanted to share my traditional Thanksgiving email that I usually send via Season of Self Loyalty.

One of my favorite teachers, Megan Devine, reminds us, "Gratitude is not the Tylenol of life. Gratitude and grief don't cancel each other out; they sit side by side."

Gratitude allows me to see that I have much to be thankful for. It allows me to see that holidays can take on many forms. We can get laughter and warmth in a variety of places and from a variety of people. That joy doesn't erase the sadness; they sit side by side.

A few years ago, I read an insightful article by AJ Jacobs called How to ​Be Grateful Without Rolling Your Eyes. The title itself made me smile. AJ shares two ways we can practice gratitude.

Thank the obscure

I always say go deep when it comes to gratitude; this is DEEP. As you sit down to eat your Thanksgiving meal, think about the number of people who helped make that meal a possibility. The growers, pickers, drivers, stockers, all those people we have rightly elevated to essential workers, give thanks for them.

Thank the super-obvious

The things we take the most for granted such as the ability to breathe, walk, or be pain-free. Or the ability to laugh, smile, read, etc.

The author shared: "One of my sons thanked the laws of physics, which kept him — and our gluten-free stuffing — from floating into space."

Happy Holidays!! I will be back with an update sometime after the first of the year.

Stay safe, my friends. Be kind to yourself and others.