By Rheena Velia, Kislev 7, 5786 / November 27,2025

As Thanksgiving arrives again—a holiday layered with meaning, memory, and complexity—I find myself sitting with a blend of gratitude and contemplation. This season invites us to gather, to nourish ourselves and one another, and to reflect on the year behind us. At the same time, it calls us to honor the deeper stories that live beneath our celebrations: the stories of land, people, faith, struggle, and hope.

This year, my thoughts have wandered between my Jewish identity, my meditation practice, and the quiet wisdom offered by Native American spiritual traditions. In their own ways, each points toward the same essential truth: gratitude is not simply something we feel—it is something we practice.

Gratitude in the Jewish Heart: Hakarat HaTov

In Judaism, gratitude holds a powerful and ancient place. The concept of hakarat hatov, “recognizing the good,” is not an emotional reaction but a spiritual discipline. It asks us to notice what is already present, to witness the blessings we might otherwise rush past, and to name them out loud.

Every morning, traditional Jewish liturgy begins with these simple words:

Modeh Ani — “I give thanks.”

Thank you for a new day.

Thank you for the return of my breath, my awareness, my chance to try again.

On Thanksgiving, these words take on special resonance. Gratitude becomes a kind of return—an acknowledgment that even in years of uncertainty or loss, something within us continues to rise.

Meditation: A Moment of Stillness at the Table

Before the meal, or before the day grows busy, I’ve been practicing a short meditation that anchors me in this spirit:

A Thanksgiving Meditation

Sit comfortably, allowing your spine to lengthen and your breath to deepen.

Inhale… and notice the gift of air filling your lungs.

Exhale… and consider everything you are releasing—tension, expectation, and the noise of the past week.

Bring your attention to three things you’re grateful for.

– One from the past year.

– One from the present moment.

– One from within yourself.

Feel your chest soften. Feel your jaw release. Feel your heart widen just a little.

With each breath, silently repeat:

“Thank you for what has been.

Thank you for what is.

Thank you for what will be.”

Let this be your quiet offering. Let it be enough.

Honoring the Land: A Moment of Respect for Native American Wisdom

Thanksgiving also invites us to acknowledge the land beneath our homes, our tables, and our stories. Many Native American traditions root gratitude not in a single holiday but in a worldview—an understanding that all beings are in relationship, and that reciprocity is part of spiritual balance.

The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, sometimes called the Words That Come Before All Else, offers gratitude to the people, the waters, the plants, the animals, the winds, the sun, the stars, and the earth itself. It is an offering of recognition—an awareness that we depend on so much beyond ourselves.

While each Nation has its own traditions and beliefs, one common thread is this:

Gratitude is inseparable from responsibility.

To receive from the Earth is to protect her.

To benefit from community is to care for it.

To hold history is to honor it honestly.

This year, I pause in gratitude for the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land for generations, and for the wisdom we continue to learn about respect, harmony, and connection.

Braiding the Strands Together

When I weave these traditions together—Jewish prayer, meditative presence, Native American gratitude for the Earth—I find a shared understanding that feels deeply grounding:

Gratitude is a path.

A practice.

A way of walking through the world with humility and awareness.

It is not limited to one culture or faith.

It is a universal language, spoken in prayer, in breath, in silence, in the simple act of noticing.

Closing Thoughts for This Thanksgiving

As you gather—whether in a crowded home, a quiet room, or somewhere in between—may this day be an invitation:

To notice.

To breathe.

To honor the stories that brought you here.

To give thanks not only for abundance, but also for resilience, connection, and the small miracles of everyday life.

May we hold gratitude not just as a feeling of the moment, but as a compass for the year ahead.

Wishing you a warm, reflective, and meaningful Thanksgiving.

May your table be full, your heart open, and your spirit at peace.

With Love,