Monday, November 19, 2012

Attentive Gratitude

What would we do if the stars came out only once every thousand years?
No one would sleep that night, of course.
The world would become religious overnight.
We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God.
Instead the stars come out every night, and we watch television.
(from Ralph Waldo Emerson)

It is so easy to take for granted our blessings, to become distracted by tasks, to feel overwhelmed by struggles. In the midst of all that, it is good to pause and give thanks for that which seems so ordinary. The Thanksgiving holiday is in recognition of this, I think, setting aside space and time to pay attention, to recognize and  appreciate blessings, and in the process to train ourselves toward gratitude all year long.

A number of my Facebook friends have been doing daily (or daily-ish) gratitude posts. I like that idea, and am glad for their posts, for the reminders to be thankful and for the opportunities to share in joy. I haven't been posting daily thanks, but join in here with gratitude:

Constellations
Snowplows
Warm-bloodedness
Modern medicine
Fuzzy socks
Leaves replenishing the soil
Time with my parents
My husband
Q
Transformation of hearts, minds, lives
Cows
Power naps
Food preservation
Intergenerational relationships
Pie
Written language
Digital photography

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