Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. The sensations of my woolen sweater rubbing against the hair on my arms and the heat from the fire burning in the fireplace as I sit and watch the last of the colored leaves fall from the trees outside the window envelops me. The memories of raking those fallen leaves into piles and then jumping in the piles, the sound of them crunching beneath me and the distinct musty smell of the onset of decay stay with me until this very day. Then there are the aromas coming from the kitchen. The turkey roasting in the oven, mulled apple cider simmering on the stovetop waiting to take it’s journey down my throat to my stomach, filling me with spicey sweet warmth makes my mouth water in anticipation of the huge feast awaiting me and my family.
While I acknowledge the ugly and deadly truths which are often ignored in the story behind the inspiration of this holiday, what Thanksgiving has come to represent for me is a holiday about appreciating the loved ones in our lives with no obligation of gift giving. It is a time to take stock in all of the things in my life that I can be grateful for and those things that are no longer useful, as I thank them for how they have served me in the past and release them into the burning embers in the hearth. This is a time of reflection as those of us in the northern hemisphere enter into winter. And for the bears among us, a time to ruminate on the future during our seasonal hibernation that lay ahead.
For me and my work at Life Enhancing Arts, I am most grateful for my partner Henry. He has been the driving force behind the re-imagining of the website and a tireless supporter and believer in what I am offering to you: helping to bring a sense of beauty, healing and wellness into your lives through my artwork, Reiki, workshops, writing and architecture. My goal remains to create both internal and external environments where you can thrive and evolve in healthy and empowered ways, and ultimately foster empathy and compassion in our communities.
