Give thanks with a grateful heart
It’s November, and Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
Thanksgiving has to be one of my favorite holidays– what better than a holiday celebrating gratitude? This day reminds us of how fortunate we are, and how generous we ought to be towards others who may be less fortunate. It reminds us of those qualities that make us better people, and gives hope and purpose to every other day of the year.
I have so many wonderful memories of Thanksgiving Day. As a family, we would usually go to my Aunt’s home and partake in a huge feast with my cousins, second cousins, friends, and even strangers. It was always a bit bizarre as a child, to spend such an intimate family day with people I had just met, but I learned a valuable lesson by watching my family welcome these strangers into their home; I learned that this day (and every moment of life) ought to be stimulated by
selflessness, gratitude, service, and generosity.
Inclusion and acceptance.
That is how we find happiness, how we give others hope, and that is how we thrive.
I will admit that Thanksgiving can be especially emotional for me. While I give thanks to the loved ones I have in my life, I grieve the absence of those who are no longer around. It is in reflecting on what we are truly thankful for that we recognize the deepest value of what is important to us. Inevitably, in that moment of thanksgiving, the magnitude of loss becomes that much greater.
This year I did a small non-musical activity with all of my elementary and middle school students.
I asked that each child take a turn and share one thing that they were grateful for.
It was a moment for all of us to reflect on our lives and listen to each other.
The three most common answers were: family, food, and life. 🙂
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| Homemade vegan caramel boiling on the stove |
Pumpkin Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dry:
2 cups Flour (I use whole wheat flour)
1 cup Oats
1 tsp Soda
1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Cloves
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
Wet:
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup organic brown sugar
1 cup Pumpkin, pureed
1/3 cup Oil
1/3 cup Apple sauce
2 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
In large bowl, mix dry ingredients.
In a second bowl mix wet ingredients well.
Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.
Form dough into 1″ balls and place on lightly greased or lined baking sheets. These cookies don’t expand much, so be sure to keep that in mind as you shape them.
Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden.
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