The turkey carcass sits in a pot waiting to be transformed into a nourishing, rich autumn soup. The dishes are cleared and the dining room put back to order. Thanksgiving 2012 has come and passed and still, regardless of the calendar date, gratitude remains, thankfulness rises.

It is the way of heartfelt living. To carry gratitude in every cell, to infuse each moment, to enrich each droplet of blood with the knowing that ‘We are so blessed.’

My amazing friend Kerry Parsons and her talented friend Amy Wood have created a beautiful video/song meditation called, “We Are So Blessed.”  They released it at noon yesterday, a fitting tribute to the day of Thanksgiving that Canadian households were enjoying together. To the haunting voice of Amy humming, Kerry guides you through a meditation into the soul of your blessings.

And it is beautiful. Inspiring. Uplifting.

“And the heart opens and expands and peace and love flow easily in and out and all life rejoices in the knowing, We are so Blessed.”

Kerry speaks the words and Amy sings them and yesterday, seated around ‘the groaning board’ of a table laden with food I looked around at the candlelit faces of family and friends gathered together and my heart whispered, I am so blessed.

And while there were faces missing, I carry them in my heart and in my heart they fill my soul with love.

We are so blessed. We live in a country where war does not tear apart hearts and homes. Where food is plentiful and abundance graces the hearths of most. It is always challenging in these times to accept that in this land where so many have so much there are those who have little. It is challenging to balance my abundance with the lack of others and yet, it is so. I am blessed. I am grateful for what I have, for my home, my hearth, my family, for the love that imbues every moment and every fibre of my being.

Working at a homeless shelter for as long as I did, I learned a lot about celebrating abundance and the gifts of life where ever they may be found. I learned that those who have little of the fixin’s of life are rich in matters of the heart. I learned that what connects us is not the size of our bank account or the designer label on our clothes but rather, that which connects us is this, our human condition. Our being human. Our humanity. We are one people. One life on planet earth.

And I learned, Love is always the answer.

No matter the condition of your heart, the depth of your sorrow or the height of your joy, Love is always the answer.

Please, give yourself the gift of time to sit in a quiet place, close your eyes and listen to this beautiful meditation with Kerry and Amy. Your heart will lift, your mind will open and your spirit will soar as you connect to your true self and know, We are so blessed.

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And please, take a moment to vote today at AVIVA Community Fund for Project True.  You will make a difference.