Today, we flip the calendar to the new month of November, and we wish we could also turn the page on all the recent news about mail bombs, another horrific mass shooting, bitter political divisions and dismal news about pending climate and global doom. Maybe our post-election period will cast glimmers of hope, new and positive energies or a reminder that “these things too shall pass.”
When we go looking for more positive or hopeful news or events, we always look closest to home, in our hometowns and communities. November begins a holiday season when our hometown happenings begin to light up, increase and invite celebrations.
Following the past months of dreadful, drab and dreary national conversations and confrontations, we can now come closer to home and share in a meaningful season of gratitude.
The sentiment of gratitude this month is being officially supported by the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce, Sebastopol Downtown Association and Cittaslow Sebastopol. Seeking improved local economic and community vitality, the trio of organizations is encouraging local businesses and others to adopt the theme of “gratitude” and express their thanks and optimism in store windows, marketing messages and causal sidewalk conversations.
Spreading the feelings of gratitude is something all our local communities can do throughout west county and in Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Windsor and everywhere our local newspaper readers call home.
So, in this season of gratitude, there are many tangible ways to be optimistic and thankful. ’Tis the season of gifting for the Christmas and winter holidays. We can all express our gratitude to our many locally-owned and independent shops and businesses by shopping locally. We can support our local crafts makers and artisans by adding handmade items to our holiday gift-giving lists.
Gratitude is best shared among best friends, but gratitude grows even more meaningful when we make new friends or acquaintances.
Gratitude will be at the center of our Thanksgiving gatherings and also at our many holiday parades, festivals and community Christmas tree and menorah lightings. School children are practicing carols and reading favorite holiday-themed stories by Dr. Seuss, Charles Schulz (Charlie Brown Christmas) and others, mostly centered on themes of giving, wishes, blessings and spiritual quotations.
We can’t deny that our peaceful and more ordinary lives are not impacted by a wider world that too often looks washed in anger and fear. But this paradox of peace winning over man’s inhumanity to man is the very center of the original Christmas story of the birth of a promised prince of peace. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others,” is a teaching from Buddha.
We know that a season dedicated to gratitude has conquered many dark times of the past, going as far back as the birth of Jesus and the pilgrimage of the Buddha. Practicing gratitude brings both individual benefits and community enrichments. When we remind ourselves why we should be grateful, we realize we live in sharing communities with more than enough material goods — or certainly enough to share with the less fortunate. We become less self-centered and more appreciative of others. We actually feel better and become healthier. We gather beside holiday trees or around festive menorahs and smile, relax and shed our envies or uninvited fears from that bigger world.
With gratitude comes empathy and forgiveness. If we do live in a time where our national dialogue seems full of fear and division — and we do — isn’t the antidote less discord and less spitefulness?
Can putting a sign in a local store window that reads “Gratitude” really make a difference? Can our annual gatherings at community holiday tree or menorah lighting ceremonies make our world a better place?
That answer is yes, and for that we are grateful.
