Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. is always an excellent reminder for all we are blessed with. I find myself today so grateful for all my kindred spirits that I share this adventurous journey of life with including family, friends and all our animal companions that we share life with. I find myself grateful to all the wildlife families that we share our lives with as well. There seems to be this respectful flow of animals that share all the dropped sunflower seeds from my birdfeeder. They seem to show up at certain times during the day and during the week. Joy fills my heart as I see my chickadee family chirp with glee as I fill the feeder and they huddle inches away on the branches waiting till I complete the task. The nuthatches sing their songs, the junko’s and all the other songbirds patiently await their treats. Then the quail family shows up to eat whatever has fallen to the ground, the deer that are born underneath my deck then meander through, one generation after the other. In the evening the raccoons explore to see if there is anything left. The hummingbirds search the flowers for their delicious nectar. Yes, I am grateful for all the families that I share my life with, two-legged, four-legged and winged. In the midst of all the global challenges, I am thankful that I am able to share my life with all these beautiful beings.
I would like to share with you today one of my favorite blogs, tinybuddha.com, . Lori Deschene, alias, Tiny Buddha has quite the following for a young seeker and has just written a wonderful book based on her blog. I have been meaning to share her wise blog with my readers as I think many of you will be able to relate to many of the insights she shares. So, as a gift of gratitude to all my readers, I offer you her Thanksgiving blog on 50 ways to show your gratitude to all beings. I just simply add showing gratitude to all our animal friends as well. What ways do you show gratitude to your animal friends?
Wishing you all a Joyous Thanksgiving!
Blessings from a kindred spirit,
Allen Schoen, DVM