There is a time for all seasons, and the quiet time between Halloween and Thanksgiving is sacred to me. That stretch of boxes on the calendar when the leaves crunch underneath my feet and the cool wind blows more often than not provides me with a time to reflect upon with gratitude where I’ve been, where I’m going, and all that I’ve experienced along my journey.

The delicate thread of gratitude weaves within my life tapestry, and as I mature, the awareness to see each moment, no matter how trifle or mundane it might seem, as truly extraordinary becomes more defined. I developed such a theme in my forthcoming novel, “Enduring the Waves,” and it has become a daily practice for me to acknowledge the shining silver thread of gratitude for each and every breath I take and every step along my journey, both the good and the bad.

A heart full of gratitude perceives beauty and peace regardless of the dissenting cacophony surrounding us. Autumn’s vivid canvas with hues spanning the color wheel transforms the society’s deafening noise into a melody of appreciation gleaming with a warm glow of gratefulness.

My hope is that when my heart beats in rhythm with nature and gratitude, it becomes a beacon of light that illuminates the dark shadows and the unlit places around me. That shining light converts the simple into the sacred, the mundane into the extraordinary, resistance into acceptance, and dread into comfort.

Please join me in celebrating our abundance, our bountiful harvests, and the blessings we often overlook in our busy lives. The banquet of appreciation this year is both a feast for our bodies and for our souls, where we can savor each morsel with a newfound awareness of loving everything about ourselves without judgment or shame.

Embrace the warmth of companionship and the opportunity for shared moments, but if your right-now self needs solitude instead of interaction, that’s okay, too. Whether you find yourself at a table for 20 or a table for one, acknowledge your brimming bounty, your beating heart, your breathing lungs, and your bodacious spirit.

Just as each dish on our table contributes to the entire banquet, every note, every pause, every nod towards appreciating the abundance around us contributes to a much larger story, the story of humanity, and your silver thread in that tapestry shines just as brightly as everyone else’s.

Partake in this feast of gratitude every day, not just on days marked with annual holidays or customs. Looking through a lens of gratitude will have a positive impact on your thoughts, your vision, and your experiences. And don’t be afraid to share that gratitude with others.

Thank you for reading this very personal entry. I wish you a plentiful Thanksgiving season filled with light and peace.

And just in case you didn’t know, I have a novel titled “Enduring the Waves” that will be released on November 20. I’d love for you to read it!

Thank you for joining me on my journey. I’m glad you are here.

With light and love,

Jill

“A Time for Gratitude” was posted on jillocone.com on November 9, 2023. Views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the writer, who was not endorsed or compensated in any manner by any entity; views do not represent any of my employers. Copyright 2023, Jill Ocone. All rights reserved. Contact Jill with reposting, licensing, and publishing inquiries using any of the links below.