Question of the Week: For what are we thankful?
by Mata H

What is it that inspires your gratitude this year?

This is the hardest easy thing for me to do when I am blue, and the easiest thing for me to do when I am happy. Want to gauge my mood? Ask me to list things I am thankful for and watch my brow -- if it squinches up and I look confused and stupid – the blues have me by my toes and are squeezing up to my heart. If you can’t shut me up, it’s a great day – for me anyway. Today the squinch index is very low, so I apparently am not blocking my own vision from what nourishes and sustains my soul. Today I am a smart cookie. Get out the glass of gratitude milk and dip me in, sister! Dive in right along side!

1. Most obvious gratitude focus for me: At age 57 I have just become a first-time-home-owner in what is called The Pioneer Valley in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Who would have thought? Last week I sat at the kitchen table, sipped a cup of coffee, saw black squirrels gamboling in the ½ acre back yard and promptly burst into tears of joy.

2. I have friends in my life that I have known and shared love with for over 50 years, over 40 years, over 30 years and over 20 years. And I still am making friends of meaning and substance in my life. I am wealthy with community. Granted it is dispersed all over this country and into Europe and Asia, but that just gives me a sense of home almost anywhere in the world. I cannot imagine my life without these astonishing people. They have also given me reason and welcome to be there for them, to share the rough and joyous times of all of our lives. It is an inestimable joy to look back at the treasures in a long-term friendship.

3. The crepusculum. There is a moment, almost at the end of sunset, when the sun is setting and the moon is rising at the same oppositional moment. If it is an autumn day with yellow trees, the yellow will fairly burn painlessly into your eyes. If it is midsummer, the vibrancy of the green trees will pierce your heart with such splendor that you beg for it to do it again and again. Everything shimmers in this light. Everything feels like hope and promise. I get blown away in the midst of a good crepusculum. I evaporate into colors, and reassemble sometime after sunset a changed woman, full of thanks and glistening with strange hues smeared onto my lips and fingers.

4. The opportunity to give. The opportunity to be the beneficiary of giving.

5. My faith. It has been said that faith is a gift, and sometimes that is how it feels for me. I am deeply thankful to have been raised in a faith-oriented family, even though I have pretty much dismantled and rebuilt what I was told was faith as a child. The faith that I live surrounded by the love of an inclusive and accepting God whose grace extends to all freely and without burden has sustained me and helps me see the world in a way that leaves me with hope rather than despair.

6. Big, goofy, furry, loyal, fat-footed, wide eyed dogs. I just love ‘em. They help me understand God’s unconditional love. And they make reassuring bed-lumps when sleeping sans partner. Besides, no matter how much anyone ever loves you, no one will ever be happier to see you come home than your dog.

7. There are certain scents I am thankful for because they remind me of times of bliss or joy or supreme contentment – morning coffee is one. Morning coffee and bacon is another. The scent of a pine forest after a rain. The smell from my childhood of piles of burning raked-up autumn leaves. Yardley’s April Violet cologne (which was my Mom’s favorite). The scent of wood shavings in a sawmill. Mushrooms growing under leaves. Pier One peach ginger candles. My grandfather used to smell like a cross between Ivory soap, Aqua Velva shave lotion, and Camel cigarettes – thinking of that smell brings him back immediately to memory. Fresh cut cucumbers smell wonderfully happy to me.

8. My cancer surgeon and radiologist. Sloan-Kettering. Columbia Presbyterian. And for the recovery for 25 years now that makes it possible for me to show others that cancer does not always mean fatal. Also for the ability to understand the fear. I think I never understood the fear before I heard the word “cancer” applied to me. In the same way I never understood what divorce really did to someone until I went through it myself. These hard times made me a better friend. And while I wish there had been easier roads to that destination, I would be a fool if I didn’t count a blessing when I had a chance to.

9. Veggies - Fresh summer tomatoes and sweet corn. Sweet peas off the vine. Radishes. Rutebegas. Beets, beloved bulbous beets. Onions of every shape and hue. Purple cabbage. Leeks. Arugula. Leafy lettuce.

10. People who thirst for, inspire and usher in justice, peace, fairness and hope around the world.

11. If I started listing the art, literature and music I was thankful for, this list would never end. So I thank the artist in any field that creates and shares their vision. I thank them for enduring the scorch of the muse, for being on the quest, for giving birth to the articulation.

12. For the world’s educators – my thanks to you for giving me and for continuing to give children a vista on the size of their world and the greatness of their own imaginations.

13. The lives of people I have loved as friends and family who have gone on before me to the life beyond this.

14. Thanksgivings to : All the men who taught me something, to those men who loved me well, to the great lovers in my life.

OK, Ye BlogHers of Great Thankfulness -- or even BlogHers of Fleeting Gratitude -- please tell us what inspires your gratitude -- what makes you or made you thankful.

Oh, before I forget #15. Being able to write here among all these fine women, all you fine women.

What inspires your gratitude, not just at Thanksgiving, but all year long?

With happy gratitude --

Mata H

Submitted by Mata H (view blog) on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 03:31

Comments

 

Thank you!

What a wonderful list, and a great reminder!

I will be working on my list today, and, hopefully, will post it tonight.

Submitted by dolphyngyrl on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 05:24
 

Many Things To Be Grateful For

I have learned in the last few years, that being grateful is such a wonderful state to be in. Feeling joy for the little things, and appreciating them, by giving thanks, has brought more into my life to be thankful for in return.

I keep a gratitude journal, and here is my current entry:

I am thankful for the warmth of this day
I am thankful for my thermos coffee machine
I am grateful for my breakfast: cereal and more coffee
I am grateful for the hugs of my children, when they woke up today, and everyday
I am grateful for having my own business
I am grateful for being able to home school my kids.

I have heard this way of living called an "Attitude of Gratitude". One of my goals is to spend my life in this kind of attitude. Beats the heck out of grumpy.

Have a wonderful day!

Claudia Blanton
Motivational Coach, Fundraiser
www.livingpossibilites.com

Submitted by Claudia Blanton on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 08:45
 

Thanks, Claudia

Gratitude really is --or can be -- a profound spiritual practice.

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs relentlessly at Time's Fool

Submitted by Mata H on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 13:08
 

God bless!

10. People who thirst for, inspire and usher in justice, peace, fairness and hope around the world.

Amen.

I am thankful that my daughters are living in freedom and democracy, the liberties afforded to us by our great nation, the United States of America. That we, as women, can be individuals and independent, pursuing our hopes and dreams with equality that can only be dreamed of elsewhere. More thoughts here.

Submitted by hipmomma on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 10:43
 

OK I blogged gratitude

But I didn't enjoy it. Heh.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

Submitted by Denise on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 12:03
 

lol

Next time, just inhale :-)

~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs relentlessly at Time's Fool

Submitted by Mata H on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 19:46
 

Breath, Music, Laughter

For me this has been an extraordinary year. I am undoubtly grateful for each breath I get to take. I am grateful for a serious music collection that my estranged husband left. I am grateful for the laughter of my children-- for 29 days in October I was serving time in Danbury Prison Camp and the most crippling and haunting heart-breaking part was being without the sound of my children's laughter. I am grateful for all the energy and prayers that came my way. I am grateful that I didn't commit suicide. I am grateful for being a woman in this time--with the ability to dream, wonder, ponder and do the nasty--ok not yet, but someday. I am grateful for my peice of the blog universe and the folks who visit me and read me and send their dear shout-outs! I am grateful for the opportunity to be grateful. Redemption lives within gratitude.

Love,
Babz
www.lovebabz.blogspot.com

Submitted by Lovebabz on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 14:36
 

I am grateful, Babz...

I'm grateful that you're here - and home.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Fast Times @ Homeschool High & Flamingo House Happenings

Submitted by Denise on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 14:41
 

hey there babz --

Yep, losing something and then getting it back makes it reeeeeeeeeeally stand out as important in a fresh way. Welcome back.
Hugs,
mata

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs relentlessly at Time's Fool

Submitted by Mata H on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 19:47
 

Thank you for this.

When it was my turn at the Thanksgiving table to say what I was grateful for this year, I said it was that my marriage survived our remodel. We were limited to one thing at the time. Since then I've been mentally taking stock and it's really, so, so, much more and I've been plotting my own post like this, but keep getting paralyzed out of fear that I'll leave something out! Anyway, thanks for this post. I'm INSPIRED BY YOU! I'll try to get my own up this week, especially since my blog is about gratitude!

http://www.gratitude365.blogspot.com/

Submitted by Blog Mama on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 15:15
 

don't fret about leaving something out

You can always edit it back in -- and that is why the web is easier than life :-)

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs relentlessly at Time's Fool

Submitted by Mata H on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 19:48
 

posted!

OK I posted about it here.

But I also posted about it previously here.

Verbose means I ramble

Submitted by dolphyngyrl on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 20:11
 

very good post

I especially liked the image of you "climbing into your hope"

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs relentlessly at Time's Fool

Submitted by Mata H on Tue, 11/27/2007 - 05:54
 

Chocolate and Trees and Quakes

The people that I consider friends I give thanks for in my life. When I wake I give thanks for the opportunities of being in the day, it isn't guaranteed so I want to be appreciative that I'm still here.

When I go to work I like to thank the trees I pass for being present and visible. Same goes for the hills and mountains I'm able to see and reflect that nothing I will go through will last longer than they have existed. There have been times when I didn't necessarily believe that but so far it seems to be true.

This year I'm ok. I have what I need and I'm learning more about what I can do without self imposed restraints. I'm working through the blues but they are transitory.

I am grateful for chocolate because I had a minor melt down a few weeks ago and a friend gave me a piece of chocolate as we talked. I'm sure he made a lot of sense but I needed that chocolate! I appreciated him talking to me so maybe it was a two for one deal.

I'm also thankful that I have learned to eat one piece and have it be enough for one day or a week or a month.

I'm thankful that earthquakes, human made and otherwise give an opportunity to see beyond what is known. You might not want to be rattled but you will be moved into action. I am also thankful that California hasn't had a big one for a while.

Oh, and cameras, camcorders and positive dreamers-creators of all kinds - very thankful.

Gena - Out On The Stoop

Submitted by Gena Haskett on Mon, 11/26/2007 - 21:14
 

So many things

1. I am grateful that my soldier son was able to come home on leave from Iraq. And even more grateful that he allays my fears by telling me how perfectly safe he is in his current post. I will continue to believe that as long as I can.

2. I am grateful that my sons have found comfortable lives. I watched two of them leave Sunday, driving up our rough country road in new 4WD trucks, and remembered when they'd driven it in less dependable vehicles. Now they're established in businesses, and Mom's road is no problem (except for Mom, whose Nissan Sentra with over 200,000 miles drives it daily--and Mom isn't worried about a few ruts).

3. I am grateful for my health. At 56 I'm still strong and able to do most of the things I love.

4. I am grateful for the opportunity to watch my grandchildren grow up. Being a granny at 38 has a few downsides, but the plus side is being young enough to see a lot of my grandchildren's lives.

5. I am grateful for a husband who stands by me whatever I choose to do. Who married me when I had four teenage sons, and who was daring enough to have yet another son with me!

6. For the ability to see, to hear, to speak, to sing, to read, to taste and feel, I am profoundly grateful.

7. The chance event that led me to live my life in West Virginia among the beautiful mountains is something I will be forever thankful for. And to have gotten here in time to learn some of the old ways of life--farming, making molasses and butter and growing gardens and making hay and learning the ways of the mountains from those who lived their entire lives here--for the memories of these years, I am so grateful.

Granny Sue
Stories from the Mountains and Beyond
www.grannysu.blogspot.com
susannaholstein@yahoo.com

Submitted by grannysu on Tue, 11/27/2007 - 14:05
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