The mornings start off crisp. Frost delineates and magnifies all of nature’s rich detail. The last of the leaves still illuminate individual trees and they blaze when struck by sunlight; a torch raised against the coming of winter, lighting our way.
‘Tis the Gathering Season. We gather the last of the harvest, celebrate the season past and look inward towards the pleasures of the Great Indoors. We usually gather our friends and family, crowd around a table, snuggle on a sofa. We break bread, we share a toast, and cheer our favorite teams. This Year, we do these things at a distance. We Zoom, we FaceTime, we Socially Distance.
This is still the Season of Gratitude. We count our blessings, inventory our gifts: love, time, health---and whatever the current state of these gifts--- we appreciate what was, what is and what is yet to be.
Perhaps it is no accident that as the days shorten - we turn our gaze inward, counting our blessings. Instead of cursing the coming dark, we light candles. Candle after candle, blessing after blessing. Once you start counting, more gifts reveal themselves.
There is no shortage of Darkness, maybe even more this year. The Darkness seems closer at hand. But it is not the darkness that draws our eye but the light that stands in opposition. Count your blessings, the song says, name them one by one. Gather your blessings, reclaiming light from darkness. Hold those you love close, in your heart, be they family or friends or furry ones. Remember those you have lost, weep if you need to. Find a way to honor their memory that brings you peace.
Breathe in, breathe out. Your body, whatever shape it is in, has brought you to this moment. Give thanks for the body, beautiful in the miracle of its complexities.
Take a moment. Find some quiet in this season to list your blessings. Once you start, the length of your list may surprise you.
Happy Gathering.
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The cousin bubble: John & Aiden |
Even if Socially Distant.
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