ThanksGIVING...

I just completed a big home move which was fun, inspiring and exhausting. But one thing was sure, I had tremendous help and offerings of help throughout, unconditional help. Every time a dear friend offered to help me, the DIY part of me that feels the need to say No and not burden anyone flared up, while another part of me said Yes, because I felt their genuine offer and their desire to Give. It felt unconditional and open-hearted. Plus, I just like being with them. This kind of energy breaks us open every time. My life and my moving process was definitely enriched through their Giving.

And so here we are again, on the verge of another Thanksgiving, and we are all wondering how best to celebrate this holiday in these times. I personally adore Thanksgiving, and I love to cook a traditional meal, gather with lots of friends and family and their chosen recipes and offerings, and sit together in laughter, gratitude, stories, and delicious food. This year will be different of course. But this missive isn’t about cooking and gatherings, but about the part of Thanksgiving that is the GIVING.

We are being asked to recapitulate and re-assess our lives this year continuously and in new ways. The buzz word these days is “pivot” as so many turn on their heels and go in a different direction, often in a direction they should have gone a while ago. Things we took for granted are being withheld, we are distancing in ways we never imagined we would. To simply hug our grandchildren, or our dearest friends, our brothers and our sisters, is a question and negotiation each time. I know that it brings up sadness for many of us to acknowledge the reality we find ourselves in. But again, this isn’t about sadness, it’s about GIVING.

We have all sat around tables and talked about our thankfulness and gratitude for many years. This year, my mind and heart gravitate toward the Giving part of Thanksgiving. Not in the traditional sense of what I’m giving thanks for, but just in the Giving part. How can I give? How can I give to those who have given so generously to me, unconditionally, even when I tried to say No? How can I give to those I work with? How can I give to myself? How can I give to a random stranger? How can I give to the Earth? Most importantly, how can I give from a genuine place of inspiration and connection to the essence of Giving?

The essence of Giving is the understanding, the knowing, that life circulates in a flow, that we are that flow, and that our giving is generously promoting the flow that provides for all. Our humanity can seriously get in the way of this flow. We can tell ourselves, so innocently, that we must stop the flow because otherwise we will lose out somehow, or that someone else will lose out. And this is the contemplation I am suggesting. How do we open to a more universal flow, a pure connection to Giving? How can we give from a place that truly understands we are articulating a universal flow? Plus, it just feels so good!

May this Thanksgiving season show you a more profound awareness of Giving than ever before. For the good of all.

In Gratitude, Melanie

If you'd like to explore your deeper connection to this or any other evolving process in your life, feel free to visit my Sessions page or email me at melanie@innertegrity.com.