Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

In past blog posts, I’ve extolled the benefits of a gratitude practice (Gratitude: The Practice and Gratitude: The Concept). Today on the one day of the year that is supposed to be all about giving thanks, here are a few of the things I am grateful for:

• All the people and creatures I love and care about whose company I still get to enjoy. I’ve lost too many to not appreciate the ones who remain.
• The people who have come to me for support in their grief, who have given my life a renewed sense of purpose, and who have imbued my own seemingly senseless losses with some meaning.
• The comfort and safety of my home. There was a time when distant places really called to me, but now when I’m away from home for extended periods, the feeling of walking back into my space (which I consider my sanctuary), and sliding into my own snuggly bed at the end of the day…there’s nothing better.
• This one might seem odd, but I’m grateful for this lousy president because he is so over the top that the nation has had no choice but to wake up. We have stopped taking our government for granted, and have sharpened our vigilance to make sure our precious liberties are not stripped away. We are taking much more seriously this idea of government of, by and for the people. That’s a good thing.
• I am grateful for the time I got to have with those who passed this year, and the innumerable ways they touched and shaped my life: My sister, Nikki. My grandmother, Mama Frances. Nikki’s dog, Chiqui. My friend Tina’s best furry friend (who was also my dog, Lulu’s best friend), Lily.
• And finally, I am grateful every day for my son, Julian. His death almost ten years ago is, without a doubt, the most monumental loss of my life. There’s no escaping that. I miss him every single day. AND I am so grateful he was here and that our paths crossed. There’s no escaping that either.

Even in the face of great loss, there is always something to be grateful for.

Please feel free to share your list of gratitudes with us below in the Comments.

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