Mentoring Moments By Fran Mancl, Stonehill CNA /Mentor I well recall the excitement, laughter, stories, and special celebrations that took place around my family dining table in my youthful days. We all enjoyed mealtime together, just sit there, be present to listen, and talk about the events of our day. Now I arrive home, take out a frozen dinner or leftovers, zap it in the microwave and sit by myself in front of the TV. Wow, what a change! I miss those days and celebrations around my family dining table. A meal is incomplete without the nourishment of companionship, love, friendship, and shared joy. Meals together say so much more than we can put in words. The meaning of meals together only becomes clear as we share in them with one another and experience how restorative, relaxing, and refreshing they can be. Many of us still renew an acquaintance or old friendship over a meal. But too often in daily life we skip or rush through a meal to get something done. We just don’t take meaningful time to experience being refreshed and renewed, not just with food and nutrition for our bodies, but with food and nutrition for our spirits. Our Thanksgiving Day meal with family and friends is close at hand. It reminds us of all the love and humanity that can be present in eating and drinking together. It enables us to see that sharing can give worth, value, and joy to our daily life. Our Thanksgiving Day meal is a time to celebrate in gratitude; express thanks for all that life and others mean to us, all they’ve done for us and given us, whether living or having passed from this life. How grateful we need to be to have had years of shared life together. We need to continue our annual tradition and share at our Thanksgiving Day meal the excitement, laughter, and treasured stories of our lives. Despite life’s continued hardships, challenges, sorrows, disappointments, and the loss of loved ones, we can be tempted to engage in sadness, bitterness, and maybe even think we have nothing that we are grateful for in life. At times, gratitude and expressing thanks does not come easy. My mother’s favorite meal-time reflection when any family member got caught up in feeling sad, discouraged, or disappointed was to express in some way that we can at least be comforted to know God has brought us close together as family. Her reflection taught me that sometimes gratitude is best expressed in the context of faith; thank you God for all that we have received of your goodness. As you celebrate your Thanksgiving Day meal, if you are truly grateful for all that your family, friends, co-workers, and residents you service with care have given you, then think of going a step further. You could be empowered to give more – right now – to others, to let them know you are grateful and appreciative for having them in your life. If the friendship of others, their generosity, presence, stories, and smiles mean so much to you, you certainly have managed to retain and preserve some of that in your own life, and now have something of your own love and goodness to pass on to others. Be grateful and give thanks. Happy Thanksgiving! Thought to Ponder: The Thanksgiving Day meal is a time to celebrate in gratitude; express thanks for all that life and others mean to us. Question for Reflection: For what or whom will you give thanks at your Thanksgiving Day meal? November 2013
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 16:19:15 +0000
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