Fresh Start or the Turkey Hangover?
I love Thanksgiving weekend. We always spend in rural Nova Scotia with my partners family.
Multiple generations come together. Emily Dugas‘ 92 year old uncle (The oldest of 13 kids) makes the short walk or we go to him. 5 Grandkids finding new ways to enjoy each other. We usually make family photos happen. Her parents have the fridge stocked; the seasonal staples ready to devour.
A pilgrimage to the family cottage, rife with rich memories, is always on the list.
In our modern world of Abundance, where many of us can enjoy Pumpkin Pie year-round, most of the seasonal forcing functions are a thing of the past.
The agrarian calendar that brought community together, inspired connection, and forced contemplation no longer hold their grip on the western world. The Rhythms of the year only matter if we give them time and space.
More than ever, we have to create our own meaning. We have to hold on to the traditions and connections that link us. Take the good and what served us well and amplify that.
And we have to use the temporal landmarks – like the changing of the seasons and the beautiful colours of fall – to craft our own reflections. They act as a forcing function for a Fresh Start (Thanks Katy Milkman for giving me the science behind it all – if you haven’t read anything on the Fresh Start Effect and its power. this is a great link: https://lnkd.in/g3q6fmMD)
I have come to rely on Thanksgiving as an anchor point.
It is a time of the year when the world slows down. Where I can reflect and recommit to what matters. In between delicious meals, pushing my daughter on the old wooden swing, throwing leaves around (which my father-in-law deliberately leaves out), and enjoying the harvest, I always get out for two runs through the rolling hills.
It is cathartic. And reenergizing.
Did you get your reset point this weekend? Are you ready for the charge ahead? I hope it gave you the same reset!
