LIFTS TO THE HEART
PREPARING FOR THANKSGIVING
Many of us who are grieving feel that Thanksgiving is a useless and painful holiday because we do not feel very thankful with our terribly hurting hearts. Maybe we could prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving by peeking into them to find at least one and maybe even more blessings that we could count at this special time of the year.
We can learn that the tiniest thing that could ease our heart’s burden was indeed a blessing! Discovering these “lifts to the heart” may help you prepare your heart for Thanksgiving. Sometimes amid all the pain, we forget what we could be grateful for.
Take an “inventory” of your heart. Perhaps you could be thankful for:
THE STRENGTH TO GET UP EACH DAY
–even if it is not fun. Grieving takes 10 times the energy to get through a day. Exhaustion can be one of the hardest parts of grieving.
THE LOVE OF ONE SPECIAL PERSON
–whether it be spouse, child or friend giving us encouragement and support
SOMEONE NEEDING OUR LOVE
–a person giving us reason to live, to nurture, to plan for, to hug.
A SPECIAL HOBBY OR INTEREST
–an activity that consumes our time and keeps our mind busy. It could be reading “grief” books to survive, writing our thoughts in a journal, making crafts, playing the piano, listening to music, planting a garden, walking along the beach.
PICTURES
–that make special moments treasures and keep our happy memories very much alive.
THE YEARS
–we had with our loved one.
MUSIC OR POETRY
–that soothes our soul.
A PET
–that makes us laugh, listens to our troubles and never tells anybody, who allows us to cry and needs us
FAVORITE RECIPES
–of our loved one that brings smiles to our faces
THOUGHTFUL RELATIVES AND FRIENDS
–who have tried to understand our needs and not frustrated us with a “time and schedule.”
TRADITIONS OR RITUALS
–that bring a moment’s peace to our hearts. carving the turkey, watching a football game, lighting a candle, attending church services—whatever touches your heart.
NATURE
–a pretty flower, a sunset, a gorgeous mountain or ocean view- to stir the love of beauty in our hearts.
CARDS
–with just the right message-to let us know someone cares about us or remembers our loved one in a special way.
THE PHONE
–to heal us when we’re feeling low and need to talk to someone else.
BOOKS
–to bring a soothing message to our weary hearts and to give us a “thought” to carry us for the moment.
PRAYER
–to God to send us strength to keep us going through the “Valley of the Shadow.” Asking for encouragement and peace that surpasses all our understanding.
May your Thanksgiving be filled with reasons to be thankful! Having loved and having been loved is perhaps the most wonderful reason of all.
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