Gratitude Journal

“Let’s rejoice today and get ready to work hard to rebuild our country’s future.” Donna Brazile.

Sigh… Thanksgiving has come and gone and I am again reminded of the sheer beauty and joy living in every moment of our lives. I brought the new girl (we’ll call her ‘Jules’) to Helena to meet the family, enjoy amazing and excessive foods, and to play hours of cards (and some trivial pursuit). It was truly wonderful, we stayed up half the night Wednesday with my mom just talking over wine, Thursday eating and enjoying company, and Friday relaxing over a deck of cards and leftovers. Worries fell away, conversation flowed, and much laughter too.

This year there is an incredible amount to be grateful for.

Family. Learning more this year about the varieties of family out there, I am especially grateful for the hard work done by both my parents to provide for me and my siblings – emotionally as much as financially.
Non-commercialism. I managed to dodge the ‘Black Friday’ bullet (barely) this year, purchasing today exactly nothing. And that feels good. My family usually does (read ‘buys’) quite a bit for Christmas, and this year will likely be no exception. But I hope a lesson of the financial crisis this year is that we just don’t need all the stuff we consume (especially around the holidays). Return to activities centered around family and friends (hours with a deck of cards and a 20 year old board game, for instance).
Safety and security. It is easy to take for granted here in Montana that one needn’t worry about thieves, muggers and worse. It’s like the scene from Fahrenheit 911 when Michael Moore goes to Canada and walks in a random person’s front door. People feel safe and trusting here. I felt that in Bristol too for the most part when I lived there; though definitely not in London or DC. Today, as the world reels from the recent attacks in Mumbai, I think we can all feel a bit blessed by the safety and security we enjoy, wherever we are.
Moving on. I’m not great at it, but I’m pretty sure I’m ‘moving on’ from recent personal difficulties. I want to hold on to the good, to the potential for a good ending… But that also means holding on to the not good things. Letting go of both brings room for new wonders and adventures, new presence in the beauties of this moment. And that’s something to smile about. And finally,
Obama’s election earlier this month. I know he’s not perfect, and I know he has tremendous difficulties ahead of him, inherited from Bush, but I see him as a man of intelligence, peace and sanity. And that is exactly what we need in the White House today. His election is not only a great relief, but also a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do.

So… with joy and gratitude, with energy directed toward doing good in the world, I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving and many blessings as we approach the new year.