Thanksgiving: The Ripple Effect & Circle Effect of the Season

Years ago, I had an incredibly small class--all boys--at a school I dearly loved. The school had water around 2 sides of the property, right on the Magothy River. I have a strong memory of a specific lesson that year where we went to the water, throwing stones in, watching our circles while discussing the importance of how our actions ripple out, often not knowing where our impact will go or end.

When I looked back (in an archival fashion) to see when I wrote about the pebble, the water, and the ripple effect, I was struck with the irony of it being Thanksgiving 2015--a decade ago. Maybe it was embedded on my brain... or perhaps it's just the cyclical nature of life:

The circles that grow from a pebble being thrown in the water...

The circle of family that gathers around the Thanksgiving dining room table...

The circle of hands that unite when coming together in union and thanks.

The circle of community that encompasses us--especially during holiday and hard times.

The circle of love that comes from a heartfelt hug or embrace.

The circle that leads toward sustainability.

Nature loves a circle. 

It all is like the ripple effect, and Thanksgiving certainly has its own. 

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Thanks, gratitude, and appreciation encircle us this time of year. It is from here we can pay forward the sentiment of the seasonal holiday by giving our thanks: to each other, to our faith, to our communities, to our surrounding environment and world. We can give the gift of thanks to nature by way of picking up litter, cleaning up our neighborhoods and parks, weeding gardens, plantings trees, donating food or time, or helping where needed. These "Acts of Thanks" not only can lift our spirits, but provide us with a sense of purpose, encircling us with gratitude and a sense of responsibility to others and our planet.

This gift keeps giving. It is the ripple effect. And it's a powerful gift that fills us with a greater connection to what surrounds us while simultaneously building unity and community.

It also reminds us that small acts such as these have a ​cumulative, heartwarming impact. Which begs the question: what small thing can you do to show your gratitude for the world around you?

So whether you celebrate Thanksgiving, "Friendsgiving," harvest, or something else, may this season fill you with appreciation and generosity. May it circle around you, spiraling forward and toward positive action--nurturing you, your loved ones, and the nature around you to help make the world a better place. You never know where your impact may end.

Image from https://www.vecteezy.com/photo/68594061-ripples-of-autumn-leaves-in-warm-golden-waters and https://stockcake.com/i/autumn-leaf-reflection_461084_76099 and banner image created at www.canva.com