Cultivating Gratitude

And there it is: another birthday, another day to give thanks for all the blessings I have encountered on this life’s journey. As I lie here with my little boy’s arm wrapped around me, I think of all the things I’m grateful for. And not only because my birthday falls on Thanksgiving this year. Every day, I try to cultivate appreciation for all the people, places, circumstances, routines and surprises that make up the fabric of my life. Colorful and rich in texture, and comforting like a heavy blanket grounding me when I need reminding that it’s ok to slow down, gratitude heals. It reminds me how much good is there, in spite of challenges, and gives me the ability to remain compassionately detached. Content. Serenely accepting of what is while working on affecting positive change in all the little ways that I can with both passion and patience. Life flows through me, and one moment I am immersed in a river of feelings and thoughts and the very next I watch them from a far; as the river flows or the train passes, I let it all come and I let it all go. I’ve learned to flow in and out of moments almost effortlessly, so the physical realm doesn’t feel as binding. This sense of connectedness to past, present, future and all the elements that make up my life, allows me to enjoy stillness and silence when alone, without feeling lonely. I am grateful for this. I am grateful for the acute awareness of the power of gratitude, without which, there would be no anchor. Cultivating gratitude is a practice of reminding ourselves of what really matters. It connects us all, on the deepest level, because underneath it all, what really matters is the same for each of us.