Thankful

Woke up this morning feeling thankful. Hope you did too. It would be nice to wake up every morning feeling thankful - something to work on, I guess. Although our Canadian Thanksgiving has come and gone I feel like sharing why I'm feeling thankful/grateful. 

Part of my gratefulness stems from an amazing event I attended Saturday night - a couple hundred people gathered at the downtown N'Amerind Centre to support the Chippewa First Nations folks who are fighting the legal battle against PipeLine #9 & Enbridge. The reversal in direction of this OLD OLD pipeline between Sarnia and Montreal will allow diluted bitumen from the Alberta tar sands to be transported to east coast ports at great risk to the environment. 

The highlight of the event was being "smudged" for the first time. 

Smudging is a traditional Native American method of burning sacred herbs to produce a smoke cloud which is used in various cleansing or prayer ceremonies and purification or healing rituals.

I've been at ceremonies where the room was smudged but this time every single person had the chance to remove negative energy and be cleansed. 

It was a wonderful experience.

I also had the opportunity on Friday to meet up with a person from my past who meant a great deal to me and still does. Not all relationships end amicably and ours didn't either but over the years we've connected a few times (the last being 24 years ago!) which I

think has helped us heal and think of each other kindly. 

I'm thankful we were able to meet, laugh and share our lives.

I'm thankful for a daughter who seems wise beyond her years. She has

provided much support over the past few days and I feel

more closely connected with her than I ever have.

I'm thankful for good friends. On Saturday night we went out dancing-

something we haven't done in ages. The music was great

and it was very therapeutic to let loose a little bit.

Can you see me?

I'm thankful for two warm and furry critters who are very

affectionate and funny. I woke up this morning feeling some

heavy duty purring going on behind my legs and my back. That

has to be a major healing force!! 

I'm thankful for having options: I can choose where to live, I can choose what I want to do each day, I can choose what to eat, what to wear, who to hang out with. There are no limits to what I can read or say or do. I can protest peacefully and rarely do I ever feel that I am "in danger" or unsafe, even when travelling far from home. 

Money shows up in my account every month, more than enough for my needs and wants. I may not be in the top 1% financially but the way I calculate my life

I am in the top 1% - I have freedom, family, friends, safety, food, a warm home, the ability to help others, peace, good health....

...how fortunate am I? 

How fortunate are you?