Gratitude, Growth, and Mental Health: Reflections on Thanksgiving as an Immigrant and Business Owner
As I reflect on Thanksgiving, my thoughts still linger on World Mental Health Day, which I wrote about just yesterday. Even though my permaculture-loving heart wants to talk about the harvest, the seeds, the plants, and the joy of growing our own food, my mind keeps returning to the importance of mental health. I am immensely thankful for the well-being of my family and my own mental health.
Being an immigrant to Canada, I’m deeply grateful for the new life I’ve been building here for the past 13 years. My children have thrived in this new environment, and I’ve found a professional path that not only fulfills me, but offers the freedom that comes with being a business owner.
But, as with many journeys, it hasn't always been easy. When we move countries, we leave so much behind—including a part of our identity. If that loss isn't properly processed, it can make it difficult to fully appreciate the new opportunities we encounter. Over time, I’ve learned to be thankful for both the challenges and blessings that have shaped my new life here.
It can be challenging to keep a grateful heart when you can’t find your place professionally. It can be challenging to keep a grateful heart when your children miss the family and friends they left behind. I go back to Joyce’s advice to count our blessings, and I find it to be a great step in keeping our mental health in check.
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Prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies are common among most religions after harvests and the Indigenous peoples in Canada?have a history of celebrating the fall harvest that predates the arrival of European settlers.
Today, I want to wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving. May your cup runneth over and may you keep a grateful heart in all circumstances. May you thrive personally and professionally, and may you bring wisdom and prosperity to all those around you!
Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!
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4 个月I think it's important to celebrate your heritage and culture so you don't look lose your identity as you knew it. We all grow as we broaden our horizons, but don't lose what makes you YOU! I am currently single with no children, so this weekend I was missing the large family dinners we used to have for these holiday celebrations at my grandparents with many aunts, uncles and cousins all gathered around the table(s) in shifts lol because we were so many. My new housemate is an immigrant, so I suggested she and I each make some food together that's from each of our cultures and we ate, played Boggle and watched a movie so we both weren't alone.