“While forgiveness heals the heart of old hurts, gratitude opens it to present love. Gratitude bestows many benefits. It dissolves negative feelings: anger and jealousy melt in its embrace, fear and defensiveness shrink. Gratitude deflates the barriers to love.” – 
From Essential Spirituality by Roger Walsh

We didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving in my home yesterday.

Such an odd thing, I know – particularly, for one who cherishes the inclusiveness of these holidays. But, if you’ll allow me just a few moments to explain.

For years, I had labored over the ‘perfect’ table setting. I had wanted so very much to recreate the ‘energy’ of past family holidays in which, my mother so lovingly captured the true essence of the holiday spirit. But, invariably there was always a little something ‘missing.’

“Why don’t they just call the Giving Day?” I remember asking. But, my mother just smiled and shooshed me away.

My logic was sound, even though I was being a bit of a pest. I mean, really, if we’re so grateful for all that we have, then shouldn’t what we have be shared?

Sure, we give thanks – but, where is the opportunity to give of our heart?

“We tend to forget how very different the laws that govern the mind are from the laws that operate in the physical world. In the world, if we give a physical thing to another person, whether it be a toy or a diamond, we lose it. Yet in the mind, the opposite is true. Whatever we intend for another person we experience ourselves, whatever we give we gain, whatever we offer flowers in our own mind.” – Roger Walsh

Indeed, the laws do vary considerably in this respect – that is to say, when we give of our heart, only love is returned.

And, shouldn’t that be the foundation of our everyday?

So, yesterday marked a brand new ‘tradition’ within our family. Instead of sitting back on our ‘thanks’, we will be venturing out each day to offer our love.

And, we don’t need a holiday to mark the occasion. As, the truest expressions of the heart are the ones that are shared ‘just because.‘