Grateful Gobbles Day! 🦃 Colouring Sheet (Patreon)

Helloooo, dearest friends. For me and my fellow Canadians, today is Thanksgiving D'eh? And yes, I know I did live in America for a few years but honestly, Thanksgiving in November? It's way too close to December. But hey, y'all do you, I suppose. At any rate.

It's been over a decade now 😱 since I have properly been able to call Canada my home, but I still celebrate the high holidays, and especially, Thanksgiving is a big one for me. While my family may not have celebrated it, over the years, I've come to learn that holidays aren't just about family, anyway -- and more importantly, I've learned about chosen family, and I am so inordinately grateful for mine.

Usually, this holiday (both the Canadian and American versions, presumably) is meant to be a time to reflect upon the things that we are thankful for, obviously. However, I think we tend to put emphasis on the 'good' things, without recognizing that we might even be grateful for 'bad' things, if only for the fact that they paved the way for better things down the line. In the moment, we obviously wouldn't have been able to see this, but that's the importance and beauty of retrospection--seeing what we missed in the past, and bringing those learnings into the present.

This year of course has been hella (see? I have some NorCal in me still hah) wild in ups and downs for me across the board. Lasting life changes and huge milestones still linger in the rearview mirror when I look back at the year, and we still have a few months to go. I reached the 2-year 'anniversary' of leaving the corporate world. I gained new friends in unexpected places, but also lost some in others. Grief and loss were counterbalanced with achievements and gifts. And of course, I'm still in the midst of one of the biggest life changes anybody goes through -- finding a new place to call home.

The changes are admittedly scary and, at times, debilitating. However, I am trying my best to recognize that the changes allow space for growth and knowledge, of the world around me and of myself. Much like a hermit crab eventually outgrows its shell and must find a bigger one to grow into, we must at times also face potentially devastating changes in order to allow for bigger and greater opportunities. At least, this is what I keep trying to remind myself.

With all that said, on this day of giving thanks, I want to thank all of you, my dearest and beloved Shining Stars. I know I say it already (or at least, I try to every single day), but I truly and sincerely mean it, today as much as every other time. Thank you for your continued support. Thank you for helping me keep food over my head. Thank you for allowing me the space and ability to search for a roof to fill my belly. And most of all, thank you for having faith in me and believing in me, especially in those rough times when my own confidence in myself falters and wanes.

Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving. 💖🦃