A Thank You Note (Thanksgiving 2009)

Every fourth Thursday of November, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude. Originally established as a religious holiday in 1621, it is now a secular celebration and the preamble to Black Friday.

Personally, I think thanksgiving should be embraced as a daily practice instead of an annual holiday. But that’s a topic for a different post.

Several days ago, I turned a year older and celebrated my B-day in NYC, the fascinating city I’ve called home this past year and a half. Having a birthday close to the Thanksgiving holiday helps keep life in perspective. This past b-day was an untypical day: my cellphone battery died after lunch, my inbox was heavier than usual, and my Facebook wall was sprinkled with much love and encouraging words.

I am thankful for all the people in my life. It is amazing how God knows the people we need, when we need them, and why. It blows my mind!  We are not alone in this journey.

Thanks for everything you do for your family/friends, your community, the environment, and the workplace. Everything good, authentic, unconditional, and selfless that you do matters and makes a difference. Thank You!

I can go on and on.

There are so many things to be grateful about.

What about you? Do you know:

• What are you thankful about?
• Who are you thankful for?
• Why are you thankful?

And finally, have you express your gratitude?

If you answered “yes” to this last question, congratulations. Your gratitude makes the world a better place.

If you answered “no”, you may want to consider the following quotes:

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” –Melody Beattie, author of Codependent No More

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
–Psalm 107:1

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.”
–Ralph Marston

Thank you so much for reading and supporting. Happy Thanksgiving 2009!