A Mindful Thanksgiving

Anyone who knows me knows I love Thanksgiving. I'm having a hard time this year as all of our plans were scuttled due to Covid-19. I’ve had to think a lot about how to make this year special and by being mindfulness I’ve come up with ways to create a happy holiday.

Mindfulness is defined as “focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.”

I am aware of how much an empty table bothers me. I have a big, beautiful dining room table and to have that empty was causing depression. My husband suggested going up to our condo in the mountains which is smaller and thus has a smaller table that I am used to sitting at with just the two of us. This is a great idea as we can make our favorite recipes in smaller sizes and David can recapture one of his traditions of skiing on Thanksgiving Day which he did before we were married. This will keep the day light but still festive.

The next thing I became aware of is how many people are having a hard Thanksgiving this year because of Covid’s impact on jobs. So, I plan to shop for extra supplies to drop off at my local food bank. I have not traditionally done anything like this and I believe it will help me to feel less lonely to know that I might have helped a few families have a healthy Thanksgiving.

Lastly, like so many of you, I will be FaceTiming with my daughter and her boyfriend as well as David’s parents on Thanksgiving Day. Typically, we spend Thanksgiving with David’s parents on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Seeing their faces will be an important part of the day. And I need to see my daughter’s beautiful face and hear about her Thanksgiving and tell her boyfriend about our family’s Kirkwood traditions growing up. Doing all of this will help keep my mind focused on all the happy parts of this special holiday.

Being mindful during the holidays is especially important for those of us who suffer from depression. You should try to be mindful of your friends and family members who endure this illness. Send them a card, a text or be certain they are on your call list. We should all be mindful during this year’s holiday season as so many lives are upside down. Plan ahead and be mindful as that will make it easier to have a Happy Thanksgiving this year.