A heartfelt Thanksgiving

I've been in this country for most of my entire life, yet Thanksgiving never felt like the grand and special holiday it sure is for many Americans until now.  I wrote something about it last year when my daughter was still an infant and I cooked my first turkey breast -although I'm mostly a vegetarian- for my new family.  And this year, although we are not cooking turkey, we will enjoy a delicious baked salmon, which my husband loves, and give thanks from the bottom of our hearts for the blessings we are fortunate to call our own.

Little by little I have witnessed, thanks to my husband's family, the tradition of Thanksgiving dinner and family reunion elevated to a worthy celebration of love and shared blessings.  My mother in law learned to cook a turkey early on, and now cooks two for family and friends, who come to her house every year to enjoy this traditional, hearty feast.  

Source

But the holidays have a stronger hold on us when we live our everyday lives' apart, and come together, either my plane or car, to celebrate the joys of the season. And Thanksgiving and Christmas do become that promise of coming together. We will soon celebrate our 5th anniversary living away from home, a big feat for both my husband and I, who are very homy and close to our families. We still haven't managed to be able to afford both Thanksgiving and Christmas with our families every year. But we will soon!

Source

This year we are thankful for family, near and far, and for the bounties of work, health, well-being and togetherness.  We are truly blessed and fortunate to be here.

And to you friends, I wish you a heartfelt Thanksgiving holiday. Bon apetite!

Summer pickings

About two weekends ago we drove up to Germantown in Maryland to visit Butler's Orchard and we were delighted! The drive is about 40 minutes from the district and if had kept going north for 45 minutes more, we would have arrived at Gettysburg. We are dying to visit some historic towns, and Gettysburg is on our list for the next road trip. The Orchard produces yearly harvests of seasonal favorites. We were there to pick our own blackberries, which ashamed as I am to admit, I had never seen this fruit on the tree. It was a first for Emilu and I. And we loved it. Glorious roads of blackberry fields that seem to never end.  And I loved that it was all so green and cheap!  A small quart in the supermarket is almost always around four or five dollars.  We got a pint for less than three dollars!  Much better than farmer's markets. Next time we go, we will pick apples and raspberries. Oh we can't wait!

Motherhood: On souls

Being a mother has recently opened up some moments for deep thought and reflection.  I've always been a believer of transcendental things.  My daughter will soon be 15 months old.  Like pieces of a puzzle, her personality and temperament are fully taking shape in front of our eyes.  Every new sound, gesture, disclosure is met with wonder, but also with a familiarity that is sometimes revealing.  I feel like I've known her a very long time.  As if our souls have somewhat embraced each other in another life.  Is this what they mean when they say your children choose you?  Or deeper in reflection:  Do souls congregate with other familiar souls for the purpose of closing the circle of life?

I believe in reincarnation.  In the evolution of souls. Evolution is not just for living things.  If cells have a (micro-life) purpose, and are programmed to fulfill that purpose, why couldn't souls be same?  I believe souls have a (macro-life) purpose.  And sometimes, this purpose doesn't get realized in one lifetime.  Am I making sense?  I hope I'm not scaring you.  We are human beings after all, and our intellect is given to us not just for the purpose of elevating our material yearnings. We also have the freewill need to connect and (potentially) merge with the Unknown, whether you call it god,  fate, alchemy or mother earth. And the road to this is raising questions and finding answers wherever you think they hide. Actually, our purpose in life should be to attain harmony and communion of the material and spiritual halves. To me it makes sense.  To you, something else makes sense. It's fine too.

I just like to believe that when they say that God doesn't give us more than we can't handle, or life has a way of working itself, what they really mean is that each of us is born with a lifemap that facilitates our journey. And souls are part of that lifemap, guiding us in our search for harmony.  That these souls have something to contribute.  That they've been with us for a while.  A nurturing (symbiotic) relationship similar to the one inside the body.  At a cellular level.  That these souls are with us because we have lessons to learn, love tales to weave, and more importantly, experiences that will help these souls and us, close the circle of life.

My daughter's soul has been with me for a while. And my mother's too. I know this now.

Gratitude

I have so many things to be grateful for.  I have a loving husband; a beautiful, vibrant daughter; a loyal, and pernickety dog, and loving and generous parents.  Here's a few more things I'm really grateful for.

the opportunity to live away from family, makes us more appreciative and affords us the need to achieve personal growth, emotional maturity and to balance family life.

the chance to experience all four Seasons is something I'm grumpily but eternally grateful for.

a gregarious and happy 90 year old grandmother.

the ability to feel compassion, and respect for animals and people alike, with equal footing.

a love for words, pictures and imagination.

a mother that reminds me what's important and essential to be happy.

a father that accepts the shortcomings of his learning brood.

my fears, shortcomings, and self-doubt because their shadow makes certain parts shine brighter. 

raindrops and sunspots, birds making their nests, late-at night moms who breastfeed, my dog's stinky breath, my daughter's rice teeth, my hobbit's feet, cow's milk, inspiring commercials, patina-stained picture frames, and warm morning coffee.

{Photos by me}

And you? What are you most grateful for?