Beloved Helen

As you step into this Thanksgiving week (US) or family gatherings — into kitchens and living rooms layered with memory, history, love, and complexity — I want to place something gentle but powerful in your hands:

You are allowed to stay connected to yourself while staying connected to others.
You do not have to choose between your peace and your presence.

This is your reminder.

1. Your body is your home base. Return to it often.

Before you walk through any door this week, pause and breathe into your belly.

Feel your feet on the ground.
Feel your spine lift.
Feel your chest soften.

Say quietly:

“I am safe inside myself. I do not lose me in any room.”

Let your body guide you.
If your shoulders tighten — step outside.
If your breath gets shallow — slow down.
If your energy dips — take space.

Your body is wise. Listen to her.

2. You can honor your limits without withdrawing love.

You don’t need walls.
You need clarity.

You can say:

• “I’m going to take a walk for a few minutes.”
  
  

• “Let’s shift the conversation.”
  
  

• “I love you, but I’m not discussing that today.”
  
  

• “I need a moment — I’ll be right back.”
  
  

These are not rejections.
These are acts of self-respect.

And they protect the kind of connection you do want to offer.

3. You are not responsible for anyone else’s emotions.

Family gatherings often pull us into old roles: the manager, the fixer, the peacekeeper, the one who holds it all together.

Not anymore.

This Thanksgiving, let this be your truth:

“I do not absorb what is not mine.
I let others feel their own feelings.
I stay rooted in my own center.”

You do not have to carry the emotional weather of the room.
You only need to stay in your own climate.

4. Stay open — but stay rooted.

You can be warm without being overwhelmed.
You can be kind without abandoning yourself.
You can be connected without becoming porous.

The key is simple:

Open your heart.
Anchor your energy.

When you speak, breathe.
When you listen, stay grounded.
When something feels activating, come home to your body before reacting.

This allows love to move freely — without leakage or self-loss.

5. You don’t have to play the role your family remembers.

You’ve grown.
You’ve changed.
You’ve healed.

You do not need to shrink into who you were at 10, 15, 25, or even last year.

Let this Thanksgiving be the moment you quietly embody:

“I belong to myself now.
I choose who I am in every room.”

You can bring your softness.
You can bring your power.
You can bring your clarity.

You get to set the tone for how you want to show up.

6. Give thanks for yourself, too.

Thanksgiving is often about gratitude for others — but this year, include you.

Thank yourself for:

• the healing you’ve done

• the boundaries you are learning

• the courage you carry

• the quiet ways you’ve survived

• the love you continue to give
  
  

You are allowed to be proud of yourself.
You are allowed to take up emotional and spiritual space.

This version of you deserves celebration.

Closing Blessing — A Thanksgiving Grounding

Before you go into any gathering, place your hand on your heart and whisper:

“May I be open where it is safe.
May I be clear where it is needed.
May I stay connected to myself.
May love move through me cleanly.”

You do not need to roar.
You do not need to defend.
Your presence is enough.

Walk in gently.
Walk in rooted.
Walk in as the woman you have become.

Happy Thanksgiving

Helen