Thanksgiving can be a busy, crazy time of year. Should Uncle Bud be seated next to Cousin Larry even though they haven’t spoken in years? Shall we do away with the “kid’s table” this year and take our chances? Order the feast, or prepare it ourselves? Forget the whole thing and order take-out for two? You get the idea. Even more reason to stop, breathe, and be grateful for the connections in our lives.
- Love in all forms. Our partners, mates, kids, friends, and even our pets. Each of these represent a chance to give and receive love, even when we are at our worst, or when they are at their worst. It’s much harder to be loving toward a grouchy partner, for example, but we need to remember to be grateful for the opportunity to love them.
- Great Sex. Nothing compares to the feelings of connection and closeness that great sex can provide. It lifts one’s mood and brings contentment. Great sex creates love—a bonus for which we can also be thankful!
- Not-so-great sex. Even lame sex can be better than no sex. It gives us a chance to connect, even when we are tried, sick, or just not in the mood. Sometimes sex that starts out not so great can end up fantastically.
- Our families of origin. Good, bad, or indifferent, they were our first teachers about relationships. We learned how to love, how to interact, how to navigate the world; we also learned what we would like to do differently in our own families that we create.
- Gathering with loved ones. Be it in person, via Skype, email, Facebook, or other non-traditional medium, the opportunity to come together with friends and family year-round is something to be especially grateful for during the Thanksgiving holiday. It gives us a chance to re-connect and to be in the company of people we care about. Even those that can drive us nuts at times.
Whether you are staying local or traveling afar, take a moment to breathe and to reflect on all that is good in your life.
