Canadian’s celebrated Thanksgiving on October 11^th and on Thursday, November 25^th folks in the U.S will observe their version of Thanksgiving. Each country traditionally celebrates with family feasts and by taking, at least a few moments, to acknowledge how much they have to be grateful for. But unless you are American or Canadian these holidays are of little importance. Or are they?

Canadian Thanksgiving owes its roots to explorer, Martin Frobisher, who in 1578 held a ceremony to celebrate his survival of a long and difficult journey in his quest to find a northern passage between Europe and Asia.

American Thanksgiving goes back to 1621 when English pilgrims held a feast to give thanks for their first successful harvest in their new country.

What the U.S. and Canadian Thanksgivings have in common is that they were both born out of the desire to celebrate abundance after hardship and deprivation.

Have you noticed how scrumptious food tastes when you haven't eaten in awhile? Whatever the reason for not eating or for minimal consumption – poverty, a rugged camping trip, a long fast – when you finally get to eat it is like you are tasting the flavours for the first time. What about the totally delicious feel of a shower in your own bathroom after a rustic holiday or prolonged house renovations? Or warm clothes and a toasty fire when you have come in from the cold?

It seems it is human nature to give thanks easily when deprivation and hardship are juxtaposed with plenty. Gratitude flows in abundance! We truly appreciate what we had previously taken for granted. In the extreme it can be exhilarating, life-altering and profound.

Wouldn’t it be remarkable to live with a feeling of exhilaration every day? To live with a sense of wonder? To appreciate each moment, not just in contrast to adversity and hardship, but because each moment is, in itself, a cause for celebration?  

Since launching GratOodle-LU Purveryors I have become fascinated with the concept of living in a state of gratitude. It is not easy. What is easy is rushing through life, having deadlines, and doing the same-old-same- old. At least, it is easy in a slip-through-life kind of way. Yet, I have developed a deep respect for the power of gratitude and its potential to change lives.

In a Soul Series podcast with Oprah Winfrey, Eckhart Tolle says that gratitude ..."changes your entire reality. It changes the way in which you experience life. It changes your world.” It’s all about noticing the abundance that surrounds us – always, everywhere.

Abundance shows itself in the sun, in rainfall, the air we breathe, and overflowing supermarket shelves of fruits and vegetables. Tolle says that, “The entire universe is miraculous” and if we pay attention to this abundance, to what we have to be grateful for, we are connected to the present moment. We are in touch with the miracle of the universe.

For me focusing on abundance is like meditation. My mind wanders. I have things to do, I am easily distracted. Yet each time if bring myself back to the abundance that surrounds me I feel a sense of exhilaration. I feel in touch with the miracle. Just yesterday I went for a run along the ocean and instead of paying attention to how many minutes I had left to run and how my body felt I turned my attention to the life teaming in the ocean, the leaves falling around me, and the millions of rocks on the shore. It inspired me and I even ran an extra three minutes!

So why is the Canadian and U.S. Thanksgiving important even for those who are not Canadian or American? Because these celebrations can serve as a reminder to everyone to take a moment to be thankful. And then take another moment, and then another. With one foot in front of the other we can walk into the present moment and into the miracle of life.