Allora, Aspetta!

Thanksgiving in Italy

When I woke up this morning, it didn't hit me right away that it was Thanksgiving. Being so far away from the states makes it kind of an ordinary day at first glance, since there's no turkey today, and no big feast to celebrate along with family. Our Thanksgiving day will be this Saturday, and we have invited a big group of friends and family to celebrate with us, but that's still two days away, and it feels like there is all of this time left before the guests arrive. As I was sitting down at the kitchen table, thinking about my to-do list, I looked over at my husband, a bit of a smile on my lips. "Happy Thanksgiving!" I told him. Oh that's right! Today's Thanksgiving!

It hasn't been a very good week this week, especially with things at work, and I feel like I haven't been thankful for much at all, even if I realize that there is a lot to be thankful for. At the same time, everyday this week I keep reminding myself, "this is Thanksgiving week! Try to stop thinking about all of the other stuff, and just focus on giving thanks!" I try to relax a bit, and it seems like I just keep coming back to the same old stuff, to the same old worries that seem to be festering in my mind.

So this morning, as I went on my morning run, it was the same: I was thinking so much that I was having trouble counting my laps around the park. And as I was running, I looked up around me at the grey sky, the trees, with their leafless branches reaching up. I tried to block out my worries for a moment and to let the day, even if it was grey and lonely looking, take place. I remembered again that it was Thanksgiving. And I thought, as the steps of my run began to match the rhythm of the music on my ipod, that it was time to stop fretting and start smiling a bit more. There was a whole day before me worth celebrating, and it was about time I caught up.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all!
Hope that you have a wonderful day, wherever you may be.

posted by Stelle in Italia @ 6:08:00 PM