Day 6 - 285 -- Contemplating Gratitude

Today was quiet with a bit of drizzle but no major rain. By evening, the sky was clearing and the moon became visible. Beautiful. The highlight of the day was a dinner with friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. We went non-traditional this year and the host made lasagna. This was accompanied by four great salads, three vegetable and one fruit. they worked very well with the main dish. For dessert, there was a marvelous peach pie. The gathering brought wonderful conversations and much laughter.

While I do think regularly of the many things I'm grateful for, today is a day when I try to articulate these more clearly. Granted, each day brings different grateful thoughts, but there are some larger items that I will acknowledge here. Mainly, I have gratitude for the people in my life who support me on my journey. Friends, family and acquaintances bring moments of calm to my days or assist with problem solving when things get crazy. The companionship of a furry, purring friend is immeasurable -- a calming force that helps me to recentre or to laugh when feeling tense. Working with people who make me laugh and are passionate about the same things as I am makes getting up worthwhile and adds to the feeling of doing something useful in this world. Living in a smaller town where most things are within walkable distances provides a form of physical activity and stress reduction -- also seeing people I recognize while walking brings a sense of comfort and belonging.  These are but a few of the aspects of life for which I am thankful.

Each day I try to think of two or three key things that helped me through the day. Often these are smaller but no less important. The song chosen for today notes several of the 'smaller' things that bring gratitude. The reason for listing these in the lyrics is different than my choice to look for the positives in my days.  So many covers exist of this song. I chose one that sounded bright and happy. Sadly many focus on the minor key and sound plaintive. And when did this become a Christmas song? <sigh> The cover shared today is an instrumental -- though I presume many people know the words <smile>. Enjoy!

My Favorite Things -- Yo Yo Ma & Chris Botti