Dear Readers,
I am incredibly grateful for each and every one of you and instead of my usual list of 100 Things I’m Grateful For that I sometimes post at Thanksgiving, (see previous year’s posts here and here) this year 
I’ve decided to send you Thanksgiving blessings. Seven of them. These Thanksgiving blessings (that I wrote especially for you) are not only for Thanksgiving, but for the upcoming holiday season.
Some of you may roll your eyes at the word “blessings,” but really, we could all use a few, myself included. We stay so busy and distracted this time of year (well, actually all year), and we tend to forget how important community is to us. Whether it’s a blog community like this one, a writing community (like the Fearless Writing for Women groups), or communities in our very own neighborhoods, towns and cities, we’d be awfully lonely without each other.
I am also aware that the holidays can be rough for a lot of people. Especially those who are alone or have recently experienced a loss or for those who are estranged from their families or perhaps not as close as they’d like to be. So I offer these Thanksgiving blessings not as sugar-coating to the sometimes saccharin holidays, but as my sincere wish for you. As a writer, I would be nothing without you, dear readers. Here is what I wrote just for you:
May your holidays be a joyous and deeply felt celebration no matter where you are.
May you be a gracious host and a thoughtful guest, as well as enjoy your own company.
May you be a kind and caring friend and have your friendship returned in a multitude of ways.
May you experience deep, heartfelt connections in unexpected places.
May you know that your community is richer having you in it and may you act accordingly.
May you experience that your life matters, no matter what the season.
May you feel that you are loved and valued in this moment, especially from within.
xo
Susan
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Happy Thanksgiving, Susan!
Susan Bernhardt
And to you, too, Susan. Thanks for stopping by!
Oh Susan, Thank you so much for your Blessings. Each one hit home in a special way. We need to live in the moment and enjoy the process. Get out there and join in the celebration, no matter what life is throwing our way.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I look forward to your weekly posts.
Mary
Life throws a lot our way, doesn’t it? It’s hard to find reasons to celebrate sometimes and if turkey and dressing helps with that I’m all for it!
This week, as I sit down to a Thanksgiving meal surrounded by family and loves ones, I am going to be more mindful of those who are cold, hungry, and in need of basic shelter and warm clothes. I am going to be more thankful for my family and friends as I think about those who so desperate yearn for some human interaction and compassion. And I am going to ask God to open up my heart and move me to give more attention to those in our community who are in need. Their needs extend beyond this one week of the year. Jesus demonstrated love and compassion to those in need and He calls us to do likewise.