“Let’s go around the table and share what we are grateful for…”
“What are you thankful for?”
I remember being a kid at Thanksgiving, sitting at the tiny table with my brother, and hearing the adults talking about being “grateful” and “thankful”, and wondering what does that truly mean? I was raised to say “please” and “thank you”, of course, but gratitude was a big word that I never really heard much until Thanksgiving rolled around. It wasn’t until years later, when I was in my 20’s that someone asked me what I was grateful for. And even then, I struggled, because when I was in my 20s, gratitude wasn’t top of mind. At that age, I didn’t really realize that what I had was actually something I had worked for, something someone had given me, or something that could just as well not be a part of my life.
Gratitude sharpens with age. You start to realize what really matters, who gave those opportunities to you, what you have worked hard for, and who you are so very lucky to have in your life. I lost my dad earlier this year and he loved Thanksgiving. I know this year will be very hard for me and my family since there will be an empty place at the table. Two actually, since my mom has been gone since 2019, and she was also a big fan of the holiday. But, I have the memories. The moments. I am grateful for all the napkins you ironed, Mom, and I will iron them for you. I am grateful for your love of a good story, Dad, and I will tell a few, for sure.
Gratitude is in all the little things, the moments, the memories, the laughter. Take a moment to remember and celebrate all of those times, alone or with friends or family. Be grateful for the smallest things. Life is richer when we are thankful because being grateful gives everything meaning and purpose. And living a meaningful, purpose-filled life? Well, that’s the real gift, isn’t it?
To sum it up, I’ve included this poem from one of my favorites, Mary Oliver. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Why I Wake Early
Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who made the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety –
best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light –
good morning, good morning, good morning.
Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.
By Mary Oliver
(Why I Wake Early, 2004)
Beacon Press
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