Gratitude
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Three’s a charm
“Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are: Something to do, something to love, and something to hope.” ~Joseph Addison, English poet and essayist There’s something magical about “The Rule of Three” — a time-honored literary device. Just for starters, there are three blind mice, three musketeers, three little pigs, three spirits of Christmas, three wise men, and the three fates. And of course, in countless myths and fairy tales, the hero on the journey is typically granted three wishes or given three tasks. I’m also a fan of Dr. Andrew Weil’s “Three Good Things” journaling exercise, which suggests making a list of three good things that happened each…
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Another Year: Thoughts on a Milestone Birthday
“Every birthday is a gift. Every day is a gift.” — Aretha Franklin A friend jokingly refers to the first week of August as my “birthday week” because I usually take full advantage of the opportunities to celebrate. This time around, however, I’m feeling a bit less celebratory and a lot more reflective. My driver’s license proves that I’ve landed on one of those milestone birthdays — the kind that inspires black balloons from the party store and bad jokes about seniority. For the past two years, I’ve facilitated a monthly workshop/discussion group titled “Aging with Grace & Courage” at a local library. Thanks to this group of thoughtful women,…
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Are thank-you notes old-fashioned?
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward Several advice columnists have noted that a large percentage of their mail comes from baffled readers who are hurt or angry because they didn’t receive thank-you notes for their gifts. At the same time, other readers argue that it isn’t necessary to write thank-you notes now. One young bride said she didn’t have time to write thank-you notes for her wedding gifts because her life was “too busy.” Most etiquette experts agree that a handwritten note of appreciation is the right thing to do when you’ve received a gift, a special…
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Goodwill and gratitude, all year long
“Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining. It bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn’t solve any problems.” ~Zig Ziglar Peace on earth, goodwill to all. Lately I’ve been wondering why these sentiments are limited to specific dates on the calendar. Last month, for instance, we all counted our blessings before slicing the Thanksgiving turkey, but resumed the habit of complaining about everything from corrupt politics to lousy football teams as soon as the good china was cleared from the table. As Christmas approaches, our hearts soften again. We mail greeting cards declaring our hope for humanity and the belief that goodness will triumph over evil. We…
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Happy Thanksgiving
“We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” ~John F. Kennedy While I’ve never been a huge fan of turkey with stuffing and gravy, or cranberry-anything, I’ve always appreciated the history and sentiment at the heart of our American Thanksgiving. (And I love pumpkin pie.) Unlike our brutally commercialized Christmas season, Thanksgiving doesn’t demand too much from us. It doesn’t require us to spend loads of cash or credit on gifts, nor does it push our festive energy to the limits. Regardless of our religious beliefs or church affiliation, Thanksgiving simply asks that we sit down together at a table…
