You may think all the gratitude I’m about to express is inspired by Thanksgiving. You may find it hard, at this moment, to feel grateful. Your life may be filled with such tribulation that your overarching response, understandably, is disappointment and an aching heart, rather than gratitude. On the other hand, maybe life has been so good to you that you’ve forgotten to be grateful. Aren’t blessings meant to be taken for granted, you may ask, since they’re so abundant in our lives?
Au contraire, my friend. It seems that we can make time to say hurtful things to one another, to dwell on what we want but can’t have, to spend a lot of time feeling upset by grievances or petty irritations, but we can seldom find time and energy to savor the good stuff. Pretty short-sighted, if you ask me.
After all, what on earth could be more important than gratitude, especially to those of us who have much more than our fair share of life’s blessings? We have so much to cherish, and yet we’ve elevated the costumes of Halloween and the commercialism of Christmas to a point where Thanksgiving is nothing more than a nice meal, a pause in our shopping and spending and acquiring.
Too bad for us, because we’re the losers when we don’t realize that everything we experience — holidays and everyday days, the air we breathe, the chores we do, the love we feel and the disappointments we suffer all belong under the heading of thanksgiving. It’s all good. Really.
I believe that nothing, big or small, seemingly bad or gloriously good, should be taken for granted. Having someone to thank, and offering gratitude continuously, are the secret ingredients to being happy, so let the celebration begin!
Drum roll, please: Let’s welcome thanksgiving (yes, with a small “t”), the extravagant and gorgeous opportunity we have for celebration every moment of our lives. Give a round of applause for the star-studded harvest that we are able to experience every day of the year.
I am grateful for the goodness of our people, their generosity towards those in need, especially in the wake of hurricanes, floods, fires and other disasters. I am grateful for the hope that one day we will do far more, that we will end political divisions, eliminate hunger, oppression and war, worldwide, and that we will share peace and love with others, without exception. (And if this sounds “Pollyanna-ish,” so be it. We have to visualize the very best to have any hope of ever achieving it.)
I give thanks for my fiancé — a delicious late-in-life treasure. I am beyond thankful for my four children, who are my gifts to the world as well as the Creator’s incredible gifts to me. I am thankful for the times I wondered why I had kids at all, and for the times when I knew they were the making of me. My life is also graced by their partners, my one-and-only sister, and the never-ending joy I feel whenever I hear the word “Nonna” on the lips of two precious-beyond-measure little girls.
I am grateful for love letters, hugs, kisses, smiles from friends and strangers, babies, seashells, the wind in my hair. Music. Dancing. I am thankful for dead plants and dust on my living room tables because they mean I’ve been sharing time with loved ones, instead of cleaning the house.
I am endlessly grateful for those dear, close friends, who support and refresh me, who make me laugh and who love me no matter how bizarre or ridiculous I may be. I am thankful for memories of my late husband, my mother and my brother, who are part of me always.
I am grateful for my large extended circle of acquaintances, too, including those of you who read this column, as well as my wonderful church community and my hometown community here in Kent, and my cat, Tony. I am blessed with good health and comparative wealth, a home and work that matters. I cherish my books, music, keepsakes and little cozy comforts.
I am appreciative of the beauty of nature: flowers, squirrels, birds and trees, walks in the woods. For the vivid colors of fall, the crystal splendor of winter, the yellow-green of spring, the long, sun-dappled days of summer.
I am grateful, too, for life’s frustrations, setbacks and disappointments, which lead me to new growth. And unexpected moments of joy, grace and surprise — sacred moments. Oh, and I’m very thankful for laughter, which is so much a part of who I am.
My wish for you on Thanksgiving, and every day, is to experience the pure joy that appreciation, gratitude and not taking life for granted will bring you. What more could we want?
Kathy Baker is a writer and speaker, a messenger of encouragement who loves to touch hearts and tickle souls with her work. She is the author of “Leaving Adversity Plaza,” and “A Tale of Three Choices: His, Hers, Mine.” She loves hearing from her readers and can be reached at [email protected].