GRATITUDES

Recently I asked my son if he would want to continue to give gifts to someone who did not show appreciation for what they had received. He said "no probably not."  Would you? Whether you want to call it the Universe, Collective Consciousness, Goddess, God, regardless of the name I believe their will is for us all to be blessed with happiness and abundance. Through our gratitude we acknowledge our gifts and demonstrate that we are able to appreciate even more blessings. I have found much joy and peace of mind through a regular practice of gratitude and thought I would share a list I made describing how grateful I am for all my brothers and sisters in my Human Family.

I am grateful for all the Children who remind us all to slow down, smile, and be silly! Thanks for preventing us from forgetting our playful nature and encouraging us to give our inner child some attention. Your innocence and purity motivate me to work hard to protect you! Thank You!

I am grateful for Teachers, who unfortunately are not given the freedom, trust, respect, or reciprocation their contribution deserves and still they continue to share knowledge, trying to inspire our minds and spark our curiosity! Thank You!

I am grateful for Healers of all kinds, the ones people scoff out for being ‘out-there’, thank you for believing in what you do and knowing you are honoring ancient arts and the holistic nature of our bodies! Thank You!

I am grateful for Artists for having the soulful guts it takes to live out your expression, not knowing whether you will starve or thrive. Thanks for beautifying our world and connecting us through our shared appreciation and inspiration!  Thank You!

I am grateful for Activists for bravely taking a stand, knowing it’s unpaid, not glamorous, and dangerous. Thank you for being on the front lines facing bullies head-on, making all sizes of sacrifices so all people will have a healthy planet, live in truth, and enjoy freedom from tyranny and oppression! Thank You!

I am grateful for all Spiritual Teachers for following your intuition, even when "rational" worldly reasons would call you crazy! Thank you for believing in yourself, for making your soul’s evolution a priority, and for sharing your journey with others. For helping us so we can be more prepared and aware when we take our own! Thank You!

I am grateful for all Truth Seekers, who look under every rock and peer into every crevice determined to find answers and are not deterred by the weird and wacky, remaining open to all possibilities! Thank You!

I am grateful for all music-makers who create the soundtracks for our lives, so we can have melodic accompaniment for every state and stage. You have made songs to uplift when we are down, joyous tunes to help us celebrate our joys, soulful songs to help us mourn our sorrows, music that inspires us to think, and grooves that get us to move! Our shared love of music connects us and empowers us! Thank You!

I am grateful for all Freaky Fun Fans, music appreciators, and fellow muses who so openly and vulnerable express their love of music, and encourage others to let go and surrender to music through their enthusiastic examples! Thank You!

I am grateful for Believers and Dreamers who allow space for possibilities, prove the power of faith and demonstrate Divine Manifestation, rallying others with their optimism! Thank You!

I am grateful for Make-It-Work Do-ers who see lemons as the perfect ingredient to make something sweet and refreshing. Rocking out resources in innovative ways, trusting in their ability, and allowing the Universe to work some magic for them! Thank you!

I am grateful for Re-Users, Recyclers, and Upcyclers, for caring deeply and knowing that loving the Earth is not at all inconvenient, because It gives a rush of innovative creative energy that surges through you and awakens awareness of our interconnection with all of life! Thank You!

I am grateful for Inventors and Innovators of all varieties, for thinking up whole new boxes to think out of, and for developing the knowledge and skills to create new technology to support our lives and turn our planet into a global village! Mad Geniuses, Thank You!

I am grateful for Designers of all types who add so much aesthetic enjoyment to our lives, reminding us to stop and soak up all the beauty in the world. For carefully crafting environments in our physical and virtual worlds and providing options to embellish our personal canvases and express our individuality! Thank You!

I am grateful for Creation Lovers who remind us to celebrate and enjoy what humans are capable of making and reminding us to appreciate all the gorgeous and fabulous beauty in the world!  Thank You!

I am grateful for Writers of all prose and poetry for putting pen to paper, sharing their story, others’ stories, made-up stories, information, inspiration, entertaining escape, and awakening news. You contribute so much to keep us connected, entertained, and informed. Thank You!

I am grateful for all the Lovers and Lovers of LOVE, and making love and getting it on, for honoring the flesh of life, the pleasures of the body, and the euphoria that is meant to be a part of the human experience! Thank You!

I am grateful for the Thespians, who go deep into the heart of the human experience and come back up oozing with emotion and drama. Thanks for never letting your imagination wither away or your passion to pretend and play.  You move us, inspire us, entertain us, engage us and awaken us! Thank You!

I am grateful for all the intelligent Laborers that do all kinds of nitty-gritty behind-the-scenes work, all manner of tedious and technical sh!t holding the big picture and guiding those in the spotlight! Thank you!

I am grateful for Farmers, and Gardeners who not only labor with their hands, but also use their heads with their vast knowledge of plants to sustain life on Earth and be sure we are all nourished by earth’s color bounty of nourishment. Thank You!

I am grateful for Everyone in areas of service, if your purpose involves people and their needs and being responsible for helping fulfill them, this means you!! You were dedicated to developing your intuition, compassion, and patience and really be-ing your brothers’ and sisters’ keeper! Thank You!

I am grateful for all the unsung Super Heroes of Public Safety who are willing to risk their lives to protect ours, deciding to serve by helping their brothers and sisters stay safe, keeping the peace, rescuing us from disaster and delivering us to healing! Thank You!

I am grateful for all the Nurses who do so much of the dirty work in the medical field, displaying both applied knowledge and compassion, while being the bridge between patient and doctor. You so often take on the role of consoler and comforter to the injured and ill and their family! Thank You!!!

I am grateful for All those in the medical field whose intention is to help end human suffering, prolong life, and keep us safe, thanks for all the long hours, the energy put into your education, and your willingness to be responsible with our lives! Thank You!

I am grateful for All those within the field of politics who are trying to make a system that truly serves the people, with the challenge of finding common ground between differences, and working to make our democracy honest! Thank You!

I am grateful for All those who work in the world of business, spending hours in front of a screen doing lots of sometimes repetitive and boring tedious sh!t to keep the world running smoothly, thanks for your attention to detail, your dedication to efficiency, and your willingness to work hard! Thank You!

I am grateful for Everyone who disagrees with me or would call themselves my enemy. Thank you for providing me with an opportunity to believe in the power of our Universal Human Values that can connect us through every conceivable difference! Thank You!

I am grateful to my Family for loving me unconditionally even when you did not understand me, trust me, or maybe even really like me. I know we were meant to be here together for a reason, and I know you have helped my heart to grow, broadened my ability to consider different perspectives, and given me my first experiences of belonging and family! Thank You!!

For my baby, my goober de doober-deluxe.. no matter what name I call you, no matter who you want to be today or tomorrow, I love you and will be forever grateful for gifting me with the soul-soothing experience of loving unconditionally.  I have learned to be of service to another human in ways I never dreamed possible. I have grown in patience; I have learned to forgive myself for not being patient. I have learned to be present and I have learned to forgive myself for not being present. You have been a mirror reflecting my disowned self, you have been the awakener of my inner child, the instigator of my imagination, the reason for my innovation, my someone to hold, and the lifeblood of my life! Thank You!

I am grateful for my dog Percy and all the animals that become our beloved family members who provide unlimited comfort, companionship, joy, fun, connection, and affection and remind us to get outside, take a walk, slow down, savor all the smells, and play! Thank You!

For EVERYONE who is here now on this planet for choosing to be here a part of this grand experiment of Life with us all! For your willingness to forget love for the joy of re-membering as One!