On a recent dog walk, I came across a basket of free key limes sitting by the sidewalk in front of a neighbor’s house. This neighbor has an abundance of citrus trees, and I’ve enjoyed kumquats, limes, and lemons because of their generosity. Though I’ve never spoken to them, I always say “thank you” in the direction of their front door as I take a few fruits from their basket. I imagine that they are thankful for the citrus fruits their trees provide, and I want to express my thanks, even if it’s just to the trees and plants nearby, for their generosity.

With Thanksgiving upon us in two days, I’ve been thinking about the correlation between thanksgiving and generosity. Thanksgiving is connected with the feeling of abundance that must be shared. I don’t think it’s possible, really, to be grateful and stingy at the same time, nor is it possible to be ungrateful and generous simultaneously. Gratitude for abundance begets generosity which begets more gratitude in response.

I know that connecting Thanksgiving with key limes is a stretch, and if I weren’t living in Southern California, I’d agree with you. But maybe where you’re at, the gratitude and abundance you hold looks like a warm home with lots of extra firewood that you could share. Maybe it’s paying for the coffee order for the person behind you in the drive-thru. Perhaps it looks like inviting someone to your Thanksgiving meal who isn’t in your immediate family. Your gratitude is seeking expression in some form of generosity so that more gratitude can be generated and the cycle continued, even if it means key limes at Thanksgiving.