Gratitude & The Tree of Happiness

---

As often happens in life, the good comes with the bad, and there's not always black and white on what's good and bad. Thanksgiving is my fave holiday because I get to eat lots of delicious local food that supports local farms and farmers, while spending time with the folks I love. However, it can also belittle the horrible atrocities that the Native Americans went through at the hands of the Europeans. And from what I hear, our meal doesn't resemble a lot of what was on the table at the first Thanksgiving, like corn, beans, and lobster.

Though the holidays are a time of love, togetherness, and gratitude, they can also be a time of stress, misunderstandings, and grief. Today is my beautiful daughter's 15th birthday! I am so grateful she came into my life, and for all the joy and lessons she brings me. However, we're also still in a great amount of grief after having to put down our poor puppy last week. Lots of folks go through great amounts of pain this time of year over the loss of loved ones currently and in the past.

So what can we do about it? Well, it's always important to count our blessings and be grateful for all that we have. But it's a fine line, we also need to grieve and feel our feelings, too, so they're not suppressed to explode later or cause deep physical or psychological issues. I've found being in nature and around those I love, plus journaling and meditation, all help tremendously. Find the self-care that works best for you and practice it continuously. Sleep and nourishment are huge!

Of course there's herbal allies, too! I have several faves, that's why I created a formula around them: my Harmony tincture, containing mimosa, hawthorn, St. John's wort (not recommended to take if you're already on antidepressants), and lemon balm. You can find it at my new Etsy shop here, or try one or a mix of several of the herbs in tea or tincture on your own. They can be great for any kind of heartache, depression, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

---

Harvesting hawthorn berries

---

I super love mimosa (Albizia julibrissin)! It's in the pea family, Fabaceae, which you can tell by the pods it will get after the flowers. It's native to Asia, and some folks consider it slightly invasive, all the more reason to make medicine with it. It's also the tree with the super fun, huge pink powder puff-like flowers that bloom in early summer. I always think if there was a truffula tree, a la Dr. Seuss, this would be it!

In Asia, mimosa is called the "Tree of Happiness". Most people take it as a tincture of the flowers, leaves, and sometimes bark or twigs. In Dana Tate Bailey's great article, she says she likes to work with mimosa especially for grief and with those people stuck in loss or dealing with heartbreaking loss. She also reminds us how important it is to still feel our feelings and let ourselves grieve. I truly believe that. One of the great things about herbs, being natural, is that they can gently help move us along that process.

Moving into this holiday season, let's all try to have a little extra love and compassion for those around us. This time is stressful, and doesn't always bring out the best in any of us. And for those of us actively grieving or missing those we've lost long ago, the holidays can bring a little extra pain. Please reach out to someone and offer them a little extra love during this time.

Of course I can't go without mentioning how grateful I am for you! You are who I do all of this for, and without your support, I couldn't do it at all. Sending a big hug of thanks to you and wishes for a sweet holiday season!