Everyday Gratitude

Originally published Nov. 28, 2009

Thanksgiving is more than a holiday, it’s an attitude.

I like the holiday because I like the idea of consciously inviting the world to pause on one day and give thanks — for whatever it is each of us chooses. For some it’s babies, family, friends. For others, it’s health and home. I’ve been grateful for a job I love; I am always thankful for people who care about me.

But what if we could hold this simple thought of thanksgiving every day? What if the act of appreciation was a common as breathing?

Every morning, I hold my little cat and we open the front door. We stand there and breathe in the air of the new day, full of fresh promise.

“Look at the day,” I whisper, and she always leans up into me, as though appreciating the moment. “This is a good day,” I tell her and I think she agrees.

Then we look around for squirrels or birds or bunnies or fluttering leaves to watch for a moment, before we walk down and pick up the newspapers at the end of the yard. On the way back, we walk by the tree where she eagerly sharpens her claws and gazes upward into the branches.

It’s just a moment, but I really mean it. I really try to welcome the day and appreciate it.  I try to carry it forward throughout the hours, appreciating the totality of it all.

It’s a good day. Everyday.