This past weekend, Angelo and I hosted our very first Friendsgiving party, which felt like an entirely new experience for us!
We've done plenty of hosting before, mostly including birthday parties, summer parties, and even a Jingle Ballers party last year...
But this time, instead of supplying or cooking most of the food, we had people bring their very own homemade dishes ready to share.
Among them were a vegan lentil and sweet potato shepherd's pie, chili glazed brussel sprouts, chicken pot pie, homemade coquito, rainbow carrots with yogurt and pomegranate...
...Peruvian empanadas, Italian-style lentils, tortilla española, a salad with a bunch of components that you could add in, chocolate chip banana bread, and so much more. The whole spread was DELICIOUS.
On top of that, Angelo and I made vegan green bean casserole from scratch along with cornbread and pumpkin oatmeal cookies too. YUM.
When I took a look around the room, I couldn't help but think how beautiful it was to have some of our favorite people put in the time, effort, and energy to not just think of a creative dish to share but then to make it and bring it. It felt so generous, so loving, and so supportive.
Yet, I wouldn't say my primary emotion was gratitude. It felt more like I was being held than being grateful.
And while I was thankful for so many different components of that night, I more so felt aware that experiences like these are fleeting.
Maybe you feel the same way but for me, as time goes on, I recognize even more how short and precious our lives really are...how incredibly valuable the time with friends and family is.
In those moments, I don't feel gratitude as much as I feel a profound reverence for the people right in front of me...a mix of deep presence and a sense of awe that they're within reach.
This is why sometimes the gratitude practice falls short for me. There can be so much complexity to the emotions inside of me!
On Saturday, it was a mix of nostalgia, a little anxiety with the pre-party and post-party cleaning, joy, sadness (pre-period vibes haha), and even anger when I was picking out jewelry for my outfit (can anybody relate? LOL).
Gratitude is beautiful and feeling grateful is lovely but sometimes it can feel a bit too simplistic...at least for me. And with Thanksgiving coming up, it's a feeling state that gets put front and center.
But what happens if you don't feel grateful even when there's so much to be grateful for? What if you feel like you're forcing it a bit?
If you struggle to embody gratitude or sense that the gratitude practice isn't working at the moment, go watch this refreshing video.
In it, I share...
- A wise message that came through on a group coaching session recently.
- One quick and easy way to shift your energy (hint: it's not gratitude).
- What the reticular activating system is and how to use it effectively.
Watch it on YouTube and if you have a lot of different emotions showing up during the holiday season, I understand! See if you can welcome them in with a big hug and allow them to co-exist <3
Love and gratitude all the feels,
Kimberly
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