It’s that secret ingredient added to the dish which brings it from average to amazing. It’s that extra pinch of this and a little dash of that. So it is on this Thanksgiving Day.
There are empty seats at the table and some aching hearts which may seem to make our holiday less than even “average”. There are secret ingredients left behind though, to help us carry on and have a beautifully, blessed day even if.
It’s nothing tangible but these ingredients are priceless. It cannot be bought from a store nor ordered from Amazon. It also doesn’t get old or have an expiration date to worry about.
For those of us experiencing waves and triggers of grief today, remember we have each other, precious memories, and a love that is forever in our hearts.
Grief is an uncomfortable but constant companion we will all eventually have join us on this road of life, but it’s only able to join us because we have lived and loved. Whether we’re new to this road or old warriors, we have so much to be thankful for.
Hold onto those secret ingredients, savor them in your heart, and don’t forget to make more sweet memories today with those who can still be touched and squeezed tight.
It might not feel like an amazing Thanksgiving today, but we have an opportunity to look for the secret ingredients as we live out today.
Find something to be grateful for, if nothing else, that we’re alive and God has been with us every step of the way. Give someone a hug, we’ll never know how bad one might be needed. Share a story, a memory, a smile or a tear — it helps soothe the aching. As long as we’re together there is a possibility for the average to become amazing.
It doesn’t take a big to-do, and it may not be easy, but just take a moment to make a difference in someone else’s life today and we’ll make a difference in ours too. It’s simple, may be difficult too, but it’s a choice worth making — a very brave choice we’ll all be glad we made.
Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours~
*The grief journey is one you travel at your own pace and is as different as each individual who experiences it. If you're new to this and you cannot yet find anything to smile about or be thankful for, be patient and keep walking, it will come.