With Gratitude

Two years ago, when COVID was raging, we drove forty-five minutes and met my son in a Starbuck’s parking lot with a bag full of Thanksgiving dishes I had packed up for him. This year, we’re hosting our first family dinner and out-of-town guests since pre-pandemic. Feeling thankful for that. But also feeling gratitude that...

A Little Patience Goes a Long Way

Layli Long Soldier is an Oglala Lakota poet, writer, and artist. In an On Being interview with Long Soldier, she said, “Writing has shown me what happens with patience.”    Oh wow, I thought. That’s an understatement! I don’t consider myself a terribly patient person. I’m an activator, someone who wants things to happen now,...

Art and Gratitude

This year, it’s really simple: I’m grateful for all the art in my life. The art I produce, the art you produce, the art we love, and the art that challenges us. The art that spurs conversation and the art that settles the soul. The art that comes from our hands and our voices, but...

Just Another Grateful Day

“It’s not happy people who are thankful, it’s thankful people who are happy.” I found this quote on the internet the other day. A friend encouraged me to start a regular gratitude practice, and since I have, I’ve noticed that no matter how foul my mood, my gratitude practice lifts it every time. I tick...