Living with gratitude. Being thankful. Is it more than just being polite and saying, “Thank you!” for the kindness shown to you? Perhaps we can understand thanksgiving by focusing on the giving. In this video, I share thoughts based on the work of Spanish mystic Francisco de Osuna. The following… Read More »Thanksgiving and Giving
Thanksgiving: It’s called a uniquely “American” holiday. Celebrated in Canada and the US, Thanksgiving is characterized by long-standing traditions. Despite its popularity, most people haven’t considered that it’s counter-cultural. Thanksgiving moves away from “rugged individualism” and the cultural focus on individual freedoms to a very different perspective on life. Join… Read More »Thanksgiving: A Counter-Cultural Holiday
Giving thanks. In North America, we ritualize our gratitude with a Thanksgiving holiday. In Canada, the holiday occurs in early October. In the US, it’s late November. Of course, expressing gratitude is more than just a day. Many spiritual writers understand that gratitude is a basic foundation for living life… Read More »Thanksgiving and Giving
Out with the old and in with the new. The old year, 2020, was difficult for many people. Well, surely that’s an understatement! The pandemic and political upheaval have left many people in grief, facing uncertainty, isolation, distrusting of not only the government but of other people, as well as… Read More »Remembering 2020 and the Road to 2021
We made our decision several weeks ago. At that time, the surge in the rate of infections from the coronavirus hadn’t begun. How quickly it changed. Last week, the CDC was clear in its guidance: don’t travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. One of the settings in which the infection spreads… Read More »Thanksgiving 2020
Gratitude. There are many ways people remind themselves to be thankful for the blessings of life. Some people pause before meals to pray a blessing and offer thanks. There are others who use affirmations throughout the day focused on gratitude. From time to time on social media, I see various… Read More »Living With Gratitude
Thanksgiving in the United States. We often say that no other country has a holiday like ours. Of course, that’s not true. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in October. Other countries have national holidays which include expressing gratitude for life. Yet, the celebration of Thanksgiving in the United States has become a… Read More »Thanksgiving in the United States
One of the lessons many of us learned at a young age was to say please and thank-you. While teaching a child these simple words is meant to help the child learn to be polite in their interactions with others, expressing thanks — gratitude — is a significant attribute for… Read More »Leaning Into Gratitude
