Find Abundance this Thanksgiving
Find Abundance this Thanksgiving
By Jan Milliman
At Thanksgiving time, we’re drawn to celebrate abundance. It’s a holiday about coming together to share the harvest, share our thanks, and feel gratitude for all we have.
But sometimes these simple messages can get lost in the flurry of preparations. The planning, the shopping, the prepping, and the cooking — all that bustle can overpower the opportunity for wonder.
This year, many Thanksgiving celebrations will be pared down, with fewer guests and a little less urgency in our preparations. For some, there’s a sense of loss when facing this changed holiday.
Take a moment: Maybe during this unusual year, that gives us an opportunity to pause and think about the balance in the holiday. We may be missing the opportunity to be with some of our loved ones. We may not need to prepare all of the special recipes we normally do. Maybe that gives us a little more time to pause and think about what the holiday means and how we can keep that spirit alive even in this very unusual year.
What does Thanksgiving mean to you?
What are the things that make the Thanksgiving holiday different from others?
It’s the gathering together, certainly. And even if we can’t all be with our loved ones this year we can be thankful for all the ways technology gives us to connect. Calls, video chats, viewing parties — there’s all kinds of ways to be together at a distance. We can still gather virtually to share what we’re thankful for. 
It’s the food, too. The special dishes we only make at this time of year. With fewer guests, we may not need to make them all, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make a few favorites. For me, it’s not Thanksgiving without stuffing. Brooke tells me she made this delicious Thanksgiving Sausage, Cranberry, & Apple Stuffing last year.
And then there’s that theme of gratitude that’s essential to Thanksgiving. It may be difficult to observe a holiday about abundance and gratitude at a time when things aren’t the way we’d like them to be. How can we acknowledge the lack without letting that overpower the celebration? Maybe that starts with taking a few moments to feel gratitude for all the wonderful Thanksgiving memories we’ve stored up over the years. And maybe that little well of gratitude will help us to feel a little more hopeful about making new memories this year.
Thank you: Wherever you are, and however you spend your Thanksgiving, we want you to know that we’re grateful for you. We’re grateful for your visits to Lagom and to our website and for your likes and follows on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. We’re grateful to know there are other folks who value thoughtfully made and handcrafted goods and support the artists and craftspeople who make them. We’re grateful to be part of such a thoughtful and purposeful community.
