Thanksgiving is for Healing and Gratitude...No Matter What
This time of year can be hard for those who are in the midst of their battles as they recover from emotional abuse, sexual abuse, or some other trauma or past hurt. The holidays bring an onslaught of cheerful Hallmark families leering at us from the ubiquitous commercial bullhorns and screens. These images highlight the imperfections in our own families which can leave us feeling a bit sorry for ourselves.
Here is some tough love for when the holiday blues take hold—happiness is a choice. Take a moment to regroup and find some small kindness or beauty to be grateful for. No matter what is going on in your life, this is possible, even if what you’re grateful for is in the past. Make a list to crystallize your gratitude and shrug off a sullen mood.
Even in the midst of pain and nearly buckling from the weight of emotional abuse and its baggage, I have always been grateful for so many things in life.
Here are my Top 5:
1. The sympathetic and empathetic ears of friends
2. The holy and healing powers of art in general and music in particular
3. The grace of my husband’s love and his uncanny ability to make me laugh at absurdity instead of
being scared
4. The miracle of my daughter’s unconditional love that teaches me how to be a mother
5. The moments in which I am able to salvage the fragments of beauty and sincerity in even the most dysfunctional of family relationships
What’s your list?
