My way of thinking/ reflections on a holiday

A four day weekend!  What an opportunity to make some memories, and boy, did we ever!

We began with Thanksgiving Day by serving food in the park for the needy.  This has become a tradition for us over the years.  It can be heartbreaking at times because you have to look at things that most people choose to ignore.  Families who have lost their way are plentiful.  People who have been crushed by an unforgiving economy, or who have given up for a variety of reasons come to feel "normal" for an hour or two and share a tradition with others who hopefully understand and show them compassion.  They come looking to be seen as fellow human beings.  A little compassion goes a long way.  Jon and I have that to give so that's what we do.

Our reward came on Sunday 11/27.  We threw an after-Thanksgiving party for friends and neighbors.  I got to see some old friends, some new friends, and some neighbors who didn't have the luxury of family to share the holiday with.  The picture above shows some of the people who stopped by to share in a great traditional Thanksgiving meal and a genuine lovefest.  My dear friend, Sandy came with 3 of her 5 sons and daughter-in-law.  Justin and Katie, Eric, and Matthew.  Our neighbors, Carl, Eyron, and Charlotte (Charlie) came to share with us the joy of being blessed by the abundance the Universe has rewarded us with.  We created a sense of family with little effort at all.  An open heart, combined with an open mind, leads to revelations and new perspectives.

One of the most special things for me was the appearance of our neighbor, Eyron.  I have invited him for several years but he always politely refused.  Eyron is an older man who suffers from schizophrenia.  He takes his medication and is under control but he doesn't speak.  Instead he writes notes.  I think he is afraid to speak out loud because he is frightened of not being able to control what he says.  This year he decided to join us for whatever reason.  Maybe it was because I created a lot of vegetarian faire.  Maybe it was because he has finally come to trust our friendship.  Whatever the reason, it was a blessing to all of us to have his grateful, silent presence with us.  I believe this was a first for him and Jon and I hope to keep up the momentum.  He wrote three different thank you notes.  That, my friends, is what Thanksgiving means to me.

I write about love, gratitude, connectivity, and giving all the time.  I sometimes feel that I am being redundant (boring even) but, if my little blog inspires even one person to slow down long enough to see the opportunities that the Universe drops right in our laps every single blessed day, then I will have achieved my goal.  We all get wrapped up in our own stuff.  Nothing wrong in that, I suppose.  But every so often, take time to open your eyes and look around you.  A very small effort can create a tidal wave of change in the world that surrounds you.  Don't let that go unnoticed.

                                        Peace and Love,

                                          Austin/Bill

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