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Happy Thanksgiving!
It's Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. At my house the ingredients
for the cornbread stuffing and the cranberry relish await the last
minute dash to pull it all together, so I thought I'd finally get
this month's newsletter to you in time to tell you . . .
Thank
you for spending a few minutes with me each month, and for
subscribing to the newsletter. It means a lot to me!
The Gift of Gratitude
As it happens on this day of this year Thanksgiving Day, I'd have
plenty of excuses if I decided to whine instead of being thankful.
Seemingly timed to coincide with the date of my husband's
retirement our 401-k retirement savings plan suddenly became a
201-k. We're still wondering how this "fixed income" thing is
going to play out when our heating unit died a week ago, just as we
hit record lows in our area. Apparently we were not alone ... the
heating/air company we've always used can get a new one installed in
another 4 weeks. . . brrrrr!
All of which makes me thankful that we have a wood burning stove
and, old as it is, it still works to warm part of the house . . .
and a husband who loves to make fires (and is now at home looking
for something to do with his time, and plenty of fallen branches
lying around to use for kindling.
The Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele, heard my fervent pleas, and
also sent a friend who had not only a couple of space heaters we
could borrow, but a contact who can fix us up with a new furnace and
do it next week.
So while we’re contemplating all that we have in our lives to be
thankful, let’s not forget about our friends. The Goddess often
sends us her energy through our friends.
I, for one, am thankful for our Goddess friend, the Rev.
Laurie Sue Brockway, who agreed to share with us . . .
A Thanksgiving Prayer for Family Grace and
Peace
By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway
Dear God, Goddess, Divine Spirit of all there is,
Thank you for the opportunity
to gather together in one another's company.
We thank you for the light
you bring to this family gathering.
Please grant us the vision to see the highest in one
another,
and grant us the opportunity to continue to be there
for each other
In good times, as well as not-so-great-times.
Give us strength and fortitude to ride the tides of
change,
and empower us always to be nurturing and loving
with one another.
Open our spiritual eyes that we may see one another
for who we truly are... and love one other in the
same spirit.
May sadness, disappointment and
anger be minimal.
May happiness, positive thoughts and good
experiences together be bountiful. May we always
cope, and hope, with each other... with grace.
Amen.
from A Goddess Is A Girl's Best Friend: A Divine
Guide to Finding Love,
Success and Happiness,
By Laurie Sue Brockway,
Perigee Books
© 2006, Reverend Laurie Sue Brockway
www.WeddingGoddessWisdom.com
The blessing will serve
as a grace-full antidote to what sometimes happens
when the "close confinement, with large supplies of
alcohol, of blood relations who have had the good sense
to keep far apart for the previous three hundred and
sixty four days" come together at the table.
(Description of family togetherness provided by Reginald
Hill, Death's Jest-Book.)
Whether your 'family' is bound by blood, marriage, or
spirit . . . whether you gather around the table or meet in
an online community, take a moment to let your family know
that you are grateful for their presence in your life.
And that's a lesson from the myths of
Hestia, the Greek Goddess of Hospitality
The goddess Hestia is often described as "the
forgotten goddess".
Because of her association with hospitality, the word
Hestia is often used today as the name of a hotel or
restaurant, making some people wonder if “Hestia” is the
name of a franchise.
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The goddess Hestia
is often described as "the forgotten goddess".
Because of her association with hospitality, the word
Hestia is often used today as the name of a hotel or
restaurant, making some people wonder if “Hestia” is the
name of a franchise.
True to
her quiet, reserved nature, Hestia
stayed at home, never leaving Mount
Olympus, always there to welcome the
others and enjoy their “homecomings”.
The
goddess Hestia never involved herself in
the fights and machinations of the other
gods and goddesses, somehow
managing to stay above the fray.
Non-judgmental and forgiving, her
“unconditional love” and calm acceptance
inspired the love and trust of others in
return. Dependable and caring, Hestia
was always there for them and helped
them to manage their lives which were
certainly more exciting than her own.
Hestia is associated with the warmth and
comfort of the welcoming fireplace. Just as the flames
glowing from the hearth soothe us with their warmth and
glowing light, the goddess Hestia gives us security,
peace, and comfort and helps us accept the truth of our
lives with inner grace.
You can read the myths of the
Goddess Hestia here. |
Wanna Share Our Left-Overs?
One
of my favorite things about the Thanksgiving Feast is all the
yummy leftovers.
Turns out that I have some left-overs of a different sort, and
I've decided I might as well share with you.
They'll be especially cherished by any of you
who, like me, have panic attacks just thinking about the
shopping frenzy that traditionally marks the day after
Thanksgiving in the US. No malls for me this time of year, nada,
never, no way!
Here's the idea in a nutshell ... gift
certificates to take the Goddess Quiz can be a lifesaver during
this gift-giving season. They're usually emailed to you and you
forward them to a friend. But . . .
We've got a few printed certificates (gorgeous
cards for putting in envelopes) left over from sets we had
printed for charity fundraisers and rather than toss them out,
we decided to make them available to you. Limited number, sets
of 3 or 5 at a big discount.
I don't have time to give you all the details
today, but will send you a very brief email with a link so you
can check it out this weekend.
Will
be back in a few with the next issue that is currently stewing
in the pot. Now if I can only find the blasted pot! I know I've
seen it here somewhere!
In closing,
a reminder to...
Notice things,
make room for grace,
and give thanks for what is good and healthy in your life.
Sharon
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Goddess Gift
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