“Wake up, Bonnie. It’s Thanksgiving!” As I raised my sleepy head from the pillow, I began singing with my sister Suzy, “Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go. The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white and drifted snow. Oh!” We loved Thanksgiving Day.

During my early childhood, Thanksgiving Day was celebrated at my paternal grandparents. Cousins, aunts and uncles who we saw only on that day, would arrive to share in the feast and happy banter. It was a day of conversation, laughter, aromas, flavors, colorful foods, and a feeling of pure happiness to be together around the table. It was a day of joy, peace, and love.  – At least that is how I always remember it.

When our tummies were full and we could not eat another mouthful of even the delicious pies, the men would retire for a philosophical discussion in the living room, and the women would gather in the kitchen to chat, pack left-overs, and wash dishes.  This was a special time for us children, too. We were free to roam through the rambling house, seeking treasures like the old fox neck wrap in the middle drawer of the front bedroom, or secret places like the stair step that opened to show a tool chest underneath. We always seemed to discover something new.

Then, all too soon, it was time to drive home through the snowy, unpaved roads of the times. Suzy and I would snuggle up together to keep warm in the unheated back seat of the car. Just when we were really getting chilled to the bone, we would arrive home. Mom would make us hot chocolate with a marshmallow on top to warm us before we curled up in our beds to doze off with happy memories of the day.

Research shows that it is beneficial to be nostalgic about our earlier years. It improves our sense of well-being and gives us a more positive outlook on the future to remember happy moments. Nostalgia is good for your age-esteem.

Bonnie Fatio

Many countries and religions have special days to give thanks. In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month.

Families gather around tables that are laden with more food than one normally eats. It is part of the tradition to have a stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce, vegetables and salad followed by apple, mince and pumpkin pies.

It is also the time when we hold hands and bow our heads to give thanks for the many blessings we have received.

Gratitude is important for our age-esteem. It has power to help us feel good at every age. In future blogs, I will share some of the ways this is true.

Bonnie Fatio

What a wonderful reminder to give thanks on this special day for all the blessings that surround us.

I am especially thankful for the people in my life who make my heart brim with love.

• My granddaughters who remind me how to play and laugh with abandon,
• Our daughter and her husband who are cascading the love and values of family to the next generation,
• Our extended family of all ages who share their lives with us and keep us current,
• Friends who dare say, “I love you” and hug with genuine warmth,
• People who have passed through my life, often without a name, who have marked me in some positive way through a word or action,
• The parents and grandparents who did their best to transmit their values, faith, and zest for life that continue to guide me today, and especially
• My husband of 49 years who encourages and supports my dreams and is always present with his unconditional love, allowing me to be my authentic self.

Oh, yes, my heart overflows with thanksgiving and gratitude for all of this and so much more.

Bonnie Fatio

P.S. The cute turkey was drawn by Rani, one of our young friends whose family invited us to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Today is celebrated as Thanksgiving Day in several countries of the world.  But isn’t every day a day of thanksgiving?  We have so much to be thankful for !  Even on the days that seem to be grey and dismal when we want to complain, we can be thankful that we are capable of complaining.  It means that we realize that life could be better and that we still have higher aspirations than just what today may bring.

Gratitude is an important facet of age esteem.  Gratitude, feeling thankful because we recognize our blessings, is key to feeling good about yourself at the age you are today.   What are you thankful for?

I am thankful to be capable of thinking and learning.

I am thankful for my sight, that makes it possible to bask in the beauty of nature.

I am thankful for my hearing and to enjoy laughter and the rustling of leaves.

I am thankful for my arms that make it possible to hug.

I am thankful for my voice and being able to express my thoughts aloud.

I am thankful to feel emotions, especially love.

I am thankful to smell the freshness of the air after a storm.

I am thankful for Age Esteem.

I am thankful for family and friends.

I am thankful for those without names who have touched my life.

I am thankful for those who share their goodness.

I am thankful for YOU.

Bonnie Fatio

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

This Thanksgiving Day I am thankful for YOU.

You may be a treasured friend, a precious member of our family, a casual acquaintance, a first time or long time visitor to the AgeEsteem site, or a complete stranger. –   Know that I am thankful for YOU.

You are a blessing and a gift to this world as you share your special talents and personality each day.  You may think that your contribution is small within the bigger picture, but what would that bigger picture be without all of our little efforts added together?

Thank you for being YOU, just the way you are.  This Thanksgiving Day and every day I am truly thankful for YOU.

I pray that I, too, might be a blessing in your life in some small way.

May your Thanksgiving be filled with happiness, fond memories, and age esteem.

Bonnie Fatio