What Feels Like a Gift?

This episode drops on Thanksgiving, so it made sense for the hosts to ruminate on gratitude. Theresa reframed the question from what are you grateful for, to what feels like a gift right now? Sometimes just saying or asking something in a different way can lead our minds to otherwise unseen spaces and new clarity.

The hosts share some of the highlights from the Rhythm & Rhyme Retreat (which at the time you hear this episode will be over, but at the time of recording, there was still one more day to gather - it was amazing!). This conversation was recorded following the Lunar Eclipse, Full Moon, and the Rhythm & Rhyme Full Moon fire ceremony. The topic of gratitude and gifts grew around many events and feelings inspired by the retreat and the amazing women who attended.

One perspective on identifying those things which feel like a gift is to look to the ways in which one might best receive messages of appreciation, compassion, and love.

There are five basic Love Languages which make a treasure map for discovering so many things that feel like gifts. They include:

• Words of affirmation
• Quality time
• Physical touch
• Acts of service
• Receiving gifts

Another way to take a closer look at the abundance of gifts in one's life is to look at what is taken for granted.

• The simplicity of a deep breath
• The dishes magically cleaned after dinner
• An unexpected hug
• Receiving a letter, package or gift certificate for massage
• Seeing an old friend for lunch

There is the gift of the memories we are making and the connections that are forming.

There are the gifts that live in the shadows of things we take for granted.

There are gifts in building a fire on a chilly night, enjoying its warmth, and then pouring water on the remaining embers before leaving for the night. And then, watching as the smoke trails into the sky, signaling the ending of one thing and the beginning of something new.

Anecdotal Anatomy's Amazing Team:

Judith George - Editor (video & audio)

Keith Kenny - Music

Cindy Fatsis - Photography