From the President - October 2020

As I write this note for our newsletter it is Thanksgiving weekend.

I was curious about the origins of Canadian Thanksgiving, so I did what everyone seems to do these days – I Googled it.  There is a nice summary here -  The History of Thanksgiving in Canada.  It’s a good read but if you don’t feel like reading it here is a rather simplistic summary.  ‘Traditions of giving thanks long predate the arrival of European settlers in North America.’  For First Nations people giving thanks included feasting and prayer amongst other things.  Of course, the pilgrims are largely credited for the first Thanksgiving in North America in 1621. 

Though I found the entire article interesting this line caught my eye – ‘Foods that are associated with a “traditional” Thanksgiving, such as North American turkey, squash, and pumpkin, were introduced to citizens of Halifax in the 1750s by the United Empire Loyalists, who continued to spread this “traditional” fare to other parts of the country.’  In Canada, our modern Thanksgiving Holiday, as celebrated on the second Monday of October, is a relatively modern construct and was declared by Parliament on January 31, 1957.

Of course, being thankful irrespective of what we are being thankful for, is a very healthy thing for all people.  The science backs this up.  Here is another summary for you – those who make gratitude a regular part of their lives are generally happier than those who do practice gratitude.  Goodness knows it can sometimes be very difficult to see the good around you when times are tough, or when sickness or other events gets in the way of your life plans.  In good times or in less than ideal times, practice of gratitude may help you.  Try this simple little exercise.  At the end of each day write down three things that you noticed during your day for which you are thankful.  Try to do this every day for a month and see if, over time, your focus tends to lean towards the positive things you have in your life.

This summer Niki introduced me to a podcast by Dr. Laurie Santos called The Happiness Lab.  It touches upon gratitude and many topics, all of which are designed to help us be happy.  That seems like a noble goal, doesn’t it?  If you are interested in checking out the podcast you can find it here - The Happiness Lab.  You can listen to on your computer by following this link or you can listen on your smartphone by downloading the episodes.  I listened to most of the episodes this summer while out walking the trail behind our house.  I found it great and I think you may as well.

With thanks,

Bill