Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I forgot it was Thanksgiving today, because it’s not really a thing in England, and I’m in Cyprus at the moment, and I don’t really think it’s a thing here either. But all of my American friends and family reminded me that it was Thanksgiving today. So I am here very grateful, in 19 degrees and sunshine with blue skies and blue Mediterranean Sea and wonderful Greek food. It’s absolutely excellent. 

Usually on Thanksgiving, we express gratitude for all of the things we are obviously grateful for, but what’s extra important is to remember to express gratitude for the things that aren’t always working out for us because we don’t know what’s happening in the bigger picture. 

Yesterday, our intention was to go into Nicosia and cross the border and then go explore the entire Turkish section of Cyprus. Finding where cars could cross the border was quite a challenge. We ended up driving around Nicosia lost, for over an hour in circles. It was frustrating. 

It was triggering all of my birth trauma imprints. Patience is not one of my virtues. And being stuck in traffic and not having flow or  being able to move and go where we wanted to go, I find trying at the best of times.

The way that I’ve dealt with these lifelong triggers in the past, I might have been bashing the steering wheel and screaming, maybe even crying, but yesterday, although it was stressful, and exhausting because we were running out of time, we even ended up laughing. 

We decided to simply park the car and walk across the border so we could experience the old town and just do what we could. Instead of being stubborn and sticking to the plan, we thought, it’s not working out the way that we wanted to, so let’s make the most of it. 

So we did and had a wonderful experience. Later, when we finally did make it to the border, there was maybe only another hour of daylight. I couldn’t fathom driving back through the city, because it was just crazy. But there at the border I met a beautiful woman who offered to drive us out of the city. “You can follow me. I’ll take you down to the main highway.” Excellent. 

I’m very grateful for the kindness of strangers. We’ve depended on a few nice strangers during our week of random exploration and it feels good for us and it’s as though they’re getting their angel wings for the day. Who knows what would have happened if our original plans had worked out?  Maybe we dodged a bullet?

Later tonight, we’ll have our last wonderful Greek meal to celebrate Thanksgiving and our heavenly week in the sun. Extremely grateful that we picked this week to come to Cyprus as it was minus three and snowing when we left West Yorkshire. 

Go within and think about all of the things that you’re grateful for that are maybe not quite so obvious.  If you’re normally in pain and you wake up not feeling as much pain, notice that and be grateful for that. 

Be grateful that you wake up healthy, that you have a roof over your head, that you have a comfortable bed, that you have heating that you have loved ones, that others are thinking of you. And that you have the ability to care for others, even if you’re feeling low in yourself.

Thanksgiving started in America when the Pilgrims came over, when they were still friends with the Native Americans, and they all dined together, celebrating their harvest. At some point in time, division happened, and then there was no more connection between the native people and the settlers. 

Be grateful that you can still have connection with the people that you might otherwise be divided from, for whatever reason, because unity and connection is what it’s all about. 

Tune in, feel the love that you are and express your love, gratitude and appreciation for somebody else today. I love all of you, and enjoy a very unified happy, happy Thanksgiving.