My Pinoy Thanksgiving table

Happy Thanksgiving! Let me begin this column by sharing this reflection, which was posted in my high school Viber group, CTTO: Make each day your own beautiful work of art.

- JOANNE RAE M. RAMIREZ

Take time to do things that inspire you before you get started with your day. Take a walk outside to simply be with the sun as it rises; let its boundless glow inspire you and fill you with warmth. Read a few pages of a book that fill you with light. Hug your loved ones and as you go about your day, remember that there is magic all around you, even if some days it's hard to find.

At the end of your day, take a moment as you rest your head on the pillow to find gratitude for all the wonderful things you experienced and created throughout your day. Because even if this day isn't going to be extraordinary, even if this day will be an average one, it will play a part in your beautiful life, and that's something to be wonderfully grateful for.

Or... create a tablescape that is an expression of thanksgiving and affection.

Thursday, Nov. 28, was Thanksgiving Day (still is Thursday today in some places) in the United States. In the Philippines, more and more celebrate this time-honored American tradition not only because it's a small world, but also because we were colonized for four decades by the Americans and have imbibed several of their traditions.