Giving Thanks


 

Giving Thanks

About a year ago I started my blogging journey with a post about Thanksgiving. It was a post Thanksgiving post that I hope held the excitement of both posting and Thanksgiving. A lot has happened since then, and I am certainly grateful that I have had a way to convey both journeys of blogging and life.

I have decided that this Thanksgiving day will be truly full of thanks, a reminder of everything that I have and that I am. I have often thought that I would like to make gratitude a part of my journaling...I already write a "to do" and "to be" list...why not add a "to be grateful for" list? And what better day than Thanksgiving to begin giving thanks every day?

My eyes are gushing as I write this. I'm not sure exactly why. All the things that I'm grateful for are passing through my brain as if I'm a passenger on a train, and it's almost too much to take. I am struck by how utterly obtuse I have been in letting them go by and focusing on frustration instead.

So, today I will take a "grateful" walk to take it all in. If I close my eyes, I can imagine how grateful I am for the warmth of the sun and how it alights on the leaves. I am grateful for the golden glow that the leaves absorb, the time to walk and reflect, the park, the book exchange box in the middle of the park, books themselves and my ability to learn from them...every step I take and the earth beneath me as well as the sky above...the cadence of my footsteps on different terrains and my ability to sense them even though one of my ears is a bit impaired...

the vision of the ducks going against the current of the canal and of my ability to see them even if one of my eyes still has trouble focusing...the innocence of animals and the greatness of nature...the people playing in the park who remind me to play and of all those who have crossed my life...

my family and those I hold dear... 

As I go home, I will be grateful for my breath and that it has returned so that I can walk and sing and talk...my voice...oh, gosh...maybe it's stronger than ever...and my legs and brain and heart. 

I certainly have a lot to be grateful for. What about you?


Photo: RODNAE Productions: https://www.pexels.com/photo/happy-thanksgiving-greeting-card-on-brown-envelope-5847888/

Text: Kristen Mastromarchi

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