To me, Thanksgiving is more than the food and family. It is about acknowledging the people, and things in my life that I am grateful for. It is also about recognizing the kindness that is still in our world today. In this time of pandemic difficulty where people may feel isolated or lonely, it is extremely important to reach out - not just to those we love, but to our neighbors, and our community. Given my love of all things stone-like I was thinking about how I could use that to encourage connection so here are a few ideas I came up with that you might want to try today - Thanksgiving - or even any day that you feel like reaching out.
Consider at your next "bubble" gathering setting a pre-prepared small rock at each person's plate. On each is a symbol to which only you have the key. As the person announces what their symbol is, you tell them what action they need to take based on your key. For example - a heart may mean they must tell their partner or child something they love about them. A star might be that they share a dream or desire with the people around the table. A staff or cane might mean they need to share a piece of wisdom, and so on. (This can also be done randomly by passing a bag of painted rocks around the table and having each person take one.) Of course, they get to take their rocks home as a reminder of the wonderful gathering they were a part of.
Maybe you want to reach out a little farther into your community, so why not paint some "grateful stones" and drop them off in unexpected places around your neighborhood?
Or perhaps you want to write a little note of gratitude on a stone for each person at your table, and simply give it to them as a memento. No matter how you choose to do it, celebrate your Thanksgiving with a grateful heart and remember:
Blessed Be!
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