Stop and smell the...
11/24/2014
Lessons in Thanksgiving, Gratitude and Wonder from my dog:
Enjoy the simple things; curiosity is an incredible guide.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Yes, the food is always wonderful, but I like it the most for its message and reminder to give thanks for what we have and for those around us. In our busy world, it is so easy to get in a rut moving from one urgency to the next. It is nice to have a weekend that reminds us to slow down, spend time with family and friends and to live in gratitude every day.
As I am welcomed into people’s homes as their veterinarian I am often privileged to hear the stories and struggles that people face in their lives. I am humbled by the difficulties that many of my families have been through in the past year, and also in so many lifetimes. And yet they carry on, continue to live and to love, and to find the beauty that surrounds us. We don’t have to look far to see a bird soaring, hear the music of the wind swaying in the trees, and appreciate the art of those amazing ice crystals that have been falling from the sky lately! There are so many wondrous things that surround us—nature, music, art, life—Including those creatures that we purposefully bring into our lives that bring us endless entertainment, curiosity and love. Our animals seem to have such a way of living life simply and fully every day. There is so much we can learn from them if we take the time to observe and listen to them.
As you make preparations for the day of Thanks, and even when you’re cleaning up afterward, take a moment, or longer, to reflect on what you are grateful for, what amazes you, and how fortunate you really are.