Happy Thanksgiving week! I am posting this as I begin to prepare for an intimate day of thanks. Like many of you, I’m tidying the house and will soon begin baking and preparations. I won’t be reinventing the wheel! The menu will be simple yet thoughtfully varied (gluten-free, low-fat and vegan options). There will be candlelight, classical music, and natural, serene decor. Since my favorite interiors and tablescapes are understated and subdued, today’s Simple Holiday Tablescapes, Gentle Thanksgiving Beauty & Quiet Reflections speak to those sensibilities and may even inspire a few holiday decorating schemes.
Do PIN ideas for Thanksgiving 2021 so you’ll be set!
In spite of the decor and deliciousness, some years, the holidays feel anything but calm…anyone else remember this?
Simple Holiday Tablescapes, Gentle Thanksgiving Beauty & Quiet Reflections
Tablescape Inspiration from Lovely Weddings
Pared Down Place Setting Simplicity
Serene Color Palette
Natural, Neutral & White Holiday Decor
Serene & Gentle Christmas Decorating
I independently selected products below—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Gentle Decor Touches
Quiet Reflections: All is Calm
I’m thinking of you as you navigate a most unusual Holiday Season of 2020 which may bring a flurry of mixed feelings. Do you have intentional practices in place to help preserve the sacred in them?
For me, it can be as simple as finding a quiet pocket of stillness and solitude to become centered, breathe, and turn my attention inward.
The space between ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ is so often magnified at Christmastime. So many folks are hurting this year as the virus rages on, as our country remains divided, as the economy punishes. Someone on my radar is anxious as her illness becomes a greater burden to bear. Another fights a descent into deep despair after losing a home, financial security, and personal dignity. Someone else grieves the loss of a child.
I consider the pain and fear of those souls suffering and how it must feel to awaken each morning with a heavy weight of sadness or fear.
But I believe we are truly connected, each of us a cell in one unified yet complex system. And when I open my heartspace and commune with the Mystery, with the Source of all goodness and light, I am also entering this system to somehow become a healing balm within it.
Quiet Reflections: Kindness & Peace
What comfort will soothe such wounds? Expressions with language fall so short. I only know that sitting in the fire with a friend in the throes of pain may make a small difference.
When I was younger, sometimes I felt like damaged goods for feeling things as deeply as the mystic me does. (And I know beautiful souls who beat themselves up for NOT feeling deeply enough!) But the midlife me sees a capacity for wholehearted sensitivity and compassion as strength.
Now I see how self-kindness (resting, seeking solitude, meditating, and granting myself acceptance and forgiveness) is not selfish. It is all part of a reciprocal flow of peace.
Kindness toward others is always a gift of peace to myself.
Self-Care & Kindness
Kindness to self surely looks different for each of us. It may be saying ‘no’ more often. Or it may involve less self-protection. For me personally, it involves giving my YES to God. Giving my yes to surrender. To messy love. And to others who seek grace and hunger for beauty.
Today, my YES is also for you.
You are lovelier than you even know, blessed with an infinitely precious soul which keeps growing in wisdom and love.
My hope for you is that your heart will flicker with a mysterious calm no matter what cares the days ahead bring. I pray you will have the courage to open yourself to the lifegiving transformation of YES.
Wishes for You
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours…
may this season of gratitude find you open to new joy,
new sources of wonder,
and fresh hope.
p.s. For more visions of calm holiday beauty, also see:
White French Country Christmas Inspo
Naturally Elegant Coastal Christmas
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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What can I say but….. It is all beyond lovely indeed! The images speak to my heart as do all the lovely words of yours and others.
Blessings to you and yours this holiday season 🙂
Author
Hugs to you this lovely holiday, Connie. 🙂
Another lovely post, Michele. I’m off and running but I stopped to wish you & yours a Happy Thanksgiving!
Blessings,
~Joanna
Author
Thanks so much for stopping on this holiday – Happy Thanksgiving, Joanna! 🙂
Where do you find the white wreaths?
Author
Hi there. I made mine and used to sell them in an etsy shop. There is a post which gives ideas for making them (if you type ‘pom pom wreath’ in search box).
Author
You can find a very similar pom pom wreath here: https://rstyle.me/+6Uj4b84raYlYQx4TOpXD6g 🙂
we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Europe but I think it is a wonderful and also necessary rite to bring people
to gratitude and more. Yesterday , by chance I stumpled over an article about the richest people in the world and
I only felt mercy for these humans and recognized again ….The happiest people do not have everything,
they just make the best of everything. I lit the candles and opened my heart. Enjoy your prep week in calm and hope dear friend.
Author
Ahhhhh, your words are honey. My head is nodding yes. True joy often comes to me in times of immense suffering because everything important becomes crystal clear – I can see my blessings which have nothing to do with wealth or achievements. I can see how life is truly a gift. There are those who say ‘if you don’t have your health, you have nothing.’ But that couldn’t be further from the truth for me. Joy is not about feeling symptom free, it’s about BEING FREE. xox
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. May Almighty God give his blessing to all .Judy
Author
AMEN. Thank you for the blessing, lovely Judy. xox
Michele.
How are you? I got your message on IG that your health is causing you to take time from social media and I could immediately relate. That’s how I live now. And I do think that taking breaks is a part of the self care that you write about so beautifully here. There are so many places when I was reading your post when I felt a kinship with your words. The idea of being a cell in part of a unified field reminds me of the oneness that I see humanity. And it’s so refreshing to hear you acknowledge the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ during this time of the year. By the way–I love every single image here too, especially your own table.
Author
Always so wonderful to hear from you, Leslie. I hope your health is strong like your writing these days – you’re so gifted. I seem to have a rare pancreatic disorder which has subtypes, and mine is not the one where surgery helps – it often makes things much worse. I had an attack for the books on Wednesday which persisted the whole day. But today I’m feeling well. I do wish the gym was safe and open so I could swim and work out. Bill continues to be my cheerleader and takes good care of me. Thank you for joining me always in my joy and sorrow. I am able to schedule/batch my social media channel stuff so I actually don’t hang out on it or read blogs as I used to. I conserve my energy instead for baking bread, housework, spiritual practice and songwriting. Contemplation and centering prayer help me get centered; help me to allow reality to be reality in emotional sobriety. To stay wide awake demands so much courage. Since I have the best followers, the blog is a business which gets organic traffic and is a pleasure to maintain. I’m so thankful. Peace to you, beautiful.
I always appreciate so much your awareness around the holidays that they are not necessarily happy days for all. Suffering comes to us all and is that part of life that truly does remind us “ crystal clear” what is most important. I, like you, find my daily comfort centered around my life in Christ & the awesome privilege of prayer we have with Him. So sorry about your recent attack on Wed. I do keep you in my prayers. Would appreciate your prayers for my daughter who is having digestive issues (which made me think of you) and has a follow up appt with her dr today trying to figure out the problem.
Author
Oh, Amy, keep me posted as I would love to help in any capacity. Digestion has been a limitation in my life my whole life through so I can at least offer my compassion. Wishing you a pleasant and healthy week of Thanksgiving, friend.