I hate COVID. My mom can’t come up for Thanksgiving now because her hairdresser has the virus. My expectations were all set, a big beautiful meal with the family gathered around the table. Now I find out my bonus daughter and her roommate are planning a Friendsgiving with their friends at someone else’s house. So the five-course meal I was planning is… I don’t know. Do you cook a five-course meal when half of your dinner party is planning to jet out early?
My selfishness is all ramped up. My plans, my menu, my kitchen, my recipes. It’s kicking my ass. Some would be mad, but I’m just discouraged. I don’t even want to participate anymore.
COVID sucks.
I can’t do anything about COVID, but I can change my perspective. I can shift how I see the holiday. I need to turn on the gratitude. Gratitude turns everything around. Gratitude turns “enough” into a feast.
You know how some people have a resting bitch face? I think that humans have a resting selfish heart. We don’t know that we are selfish until it creeps out and bites us, like an unsocialized parrot. It looks pretty and sweet, and then you have a puncture wound on your finger. (Maybe that’s just me). An attitude of gratitude is a concerted choice.
You want to be free of the COVID blues? Choose gratitude. Choose to shift your magical magnifying mind onto the blessings that surround you. Watch the blessings bloom.
I am grateful for the African Violet blooming on my desk. A friend of the family rescued it from my aunt’s house just after her sudden death. It reminds me of my beloved aunt. I miss her, but the flower continues to bloom.
I am grateful for the opportunity to teach yoga. The sense of peace and well-being that comes over me while teaching is the benefit of selfless service.
I am grateful for technology. Video conferencing has saved my bacon during this pandemic. Seeing your face as you share your emotions and ideas helps me feel less isolated and depressed.
What are you grateful for?
In the words of JKF, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”
Just for today
I will live my gratitude. I will shift away from the constant chatter of me, mine, and my, and into the wonder of my surroundings.
Prayer
God, thank you.
Heather Dellapi 