Lessons in Gratitude Day 611

Posted on March 16, 2013 by mtchamblee

I’m grateful today for simple things, like the birds at the birdfeeder, their songs in the morning, and the antics of another inhabitant of the yard–brother squirrel–hanging from the eave batting down on the top of the feeder in a vain attempt to get at the easy pickings inside.  I am not sure why he keeps trying, perhaps the birds make it look so tantalizingly easy that he can’t resist. That this all unfolds right outside my living room window is deeply satisfying, as that is why I situated the feeder there in the first place.

I had at first despaired that perhaps the birds wouldn’t discover the feeder this year; I’d filled and hung it back in November and waited through the winter (such as it was) for my winged neighbors to discover it. Brother squirrel visited at least three times, giving up rather quickly as there is no good way for him to get to it. I filled the feeder with a variety of seeds supposedly selected for songbirds; there was a picture of the Northern Cardinal–one of my favorite birds–on the bag. It seems that it’s only been in the last week or so that birds have not only discovered it, but now frequent it, flitting in in twos and threes. I took several pictures today, delighting in the details I could pick out as I zoomed in on today’s visitors. I haven’t made the time yet to go to allaboutbirds.org to determine what species it is, but I’ll be doing that tomorrow. I am not embarrassed to admit that I’m a bird/nature nerd and always have been.

My Friend at the Feeder

I have not yet decided if I am going to turn into a full-fledged birdwatcher; although I have binoculars and a few field guides to different birds, I haven’t dedicated myself to serious birding. I am fairly determined, however to discover the identity of the “little bird with the big voice” that has eluded me during the months I’ve been here. I first heard it near campus in Fairfax–it was as loud and clear as a cardinal, for which I first mistook it so clear was its call. I’ve since heard it or something like it in my back yard, though I haven’t zeroed in on it yet. Those of you who read my blog last summer will recall my intensive search for the relentlessly noisy dark-eyed junco whose shrill shrieking interrupted my sleep many summer mornings at 5 a.m. when I’d rather have been sleeping. I hunted the junco (not literally, of course) in the woods near my condo until I managed to snap a fuzzy picture of it on my phone. Eventually after cruising through pictures on allaboutbirds, I discovered what it was. I plan to engage in the same process to determine who the little bird with the big voice is.

I am grateful for the beauty of nature that surrounds me. No matter where I’ve lived in my life, I find it–or it finds me. And while I don’t have the wild turkeys here who used to provide a rich source of comical entertainment back in California, I manage to enjoy the beauty of my feathered friends and the comic relief of the squirrels. I am looking forward to the spring and summer to allow my inner birdwatcher to emerge. In the meantime I need look no further than my living room window to enjoy the creatures who visit the feeder each day. And for that I am truly grateful.

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Lessons in Gratitude Day 610

Posted on March 15, 2013 by mtchamblee

The other day my brother posted a note on Facebook about how lately he has been missing both of our parents. Our father died in September 2010 and  our mother in May of 1995. For many years after my mother died I noticed what I call “seasonal sadness,” that every year in early spring I would hit a period of inexplicable, intense sadness. I’m not sure when it finally occurred to me that I was experiencing recurrent grieving, that my body knew what was happening even if my mind couldn’t make sense of it. My “mommy cells” were waking up. I associated the late winter and early spring months with my mother’s diagnosis, illness, treatment, and death, and every year for many years the sadness would “sneak up” on me all over again.

It had actually started getting better; as the years passed and the pain of my mother’s loss eased a bit, the impact of the mommy cells on my overall sense of emotional wellbeing diminished. Then in late winter early spring of 2011 I suffered another series of significant losses: a relationship in January, my job in March, and my home in May. So recently when I found myself wondering about why I’d been feeling so sad lately, I realized that once again recurrent grief has returned, the only difference is the source of the grief.

I am grateful this evening for clarity. Sometimes the answers to what baffles us is literally right in front of us, hidden, as they say, in plain sight. I have been wondering about the sadness I’ve been experiencing. “Uh-oh,” I’d said to myself, “maybe you’re depressed.” Having suffered with depression on and off for much of my life, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea that perhaps it was “coming back.” In thinking about it over the past few weeks I kept returning to the notion that this didn’t feel like depression, it felt like sadness.  And then, it came to me–I am grieving…again.

It feels odd to be sitting here grinning at the idea that I am grieving, but I am indeed grinning (perhaps I’m delirious, but I don’t think so.) I am smiling for a few reasons, not the least of which is that I once again missed the big neon sign pointing me to the source of my previously inexplicable sadness. I’d generally rather know what I’m dealing with than be stumbling around in the dark. So while I can’t tell if these are still my mommy cells or if the sadness is related to the more recent losses is less relevant. What matters is that the grief is real and while I had already been extending compassion and lovingkindness to my sorrow-filled, hurting self, I can offer even greater comfort now that I know what I’m dealing with.

We all mark certain occasions in various ways–we have anniversaries, birthdays, last days, and so many milestones along the way. Those experiences are–I believe–encoded in our DNA somehow, where they lie dormant for a time until something wakes them up. My body and subconscious always seems to know long before my conscious mind is aware of the awakening, and I find myself weeping and not knowing why. I am coming up on one of those difficult anniversaries on March 17. I’ll probably write about it on Sunday when that day arrives. But in the meantime I will rest tonight exhaling in gratitude at having arrived at the understanding of the origins of my sadness. Tomorrow I might be weeping again, but at least I’ll be ready for it, and for that I am grateful indeed.

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Lessons in Gratitude Day 609

Posted on March 14, 2013 by mtchamblee

This is my second attempt at tonight’s blog. I wrote a couple of paragraphs but didn’t feel the direction it was going, so I saved it and am starting from scratch. I am in the midst of a lesser  struggle, if there is such a thing. Over the past few years I’ve had my share of major struggles, and while some of the major pieces of struggle have eased, I still have enough lesser ones that sometimes the cumulative effect can nonetheless feel major. (Wow, did I just write that?)

I am grateful tonight for the oomph that I have that somehow keeps me putting one foot in front of the other. I am plodding slowly along at the moment, hoping to regain some energy this weekend. We’ll see how that goes. For this evening I am simply grateful for another day in which I drew breath, showed up, and did the best I could with what was set before me. Sometimes that is the best I can do and on other days I feel a much greater sense of accomplishment.

This has been a difficult time for expressing my gratitude. I continue to feel grateful and count my blessings every day; it has been my ability to express myself in writing that has been lacking lately. Tonight is no exception, the struggle for self expression continues, like a drought that needs a few days of gentle soaking rain to break it. I am hoping to refresh myself and gain a second wind and some new perspective. In the meantime I am going to retreat into my cave this weekend and hibernate, hopefully emerging in an improved frame of mind. We’ll see how that goes. You’ll be right here with me when that happens.

I will end by offering the night time prayer from the New Zealand Prayer Book:

God,it is night.
The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.
It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be.
The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all dear to us,and all who have no peace.
The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys,new possibilities.
In your name we pray. Amen.

May it be so for us all!

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Lessons in Gratitude Day 608

Posted on March 13, 2013 by mtchamblee

I am grateful this evening for books. I don’t have nearly the time to read that I once did; these days it is easier for me to listen to an audiobook than to sit down and read either a physical bound book or ebook reader. I will perhaps remedy this lack od reading sometime, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to ease any time soon. I spend a lot time in my car, which makes audiobooks a good choice. Some of the nonfiction books I need to be reading generally aren’t produced in audio format, so mostly what I listen to is fiction, science fiction and fantasy at that. As is the case with most books, I enjoy finding series–trilogies or longer, multiple books that involve the same characters stretched out over many years. When I find a good series with narrators whose voices I enjoy listening to, it makes for a wonderful literary and theatrical experience. You get to enjoy both the quality of the writing as well as the richness of the vocalization.

Today I listened to the last hours of the 14th and final book in a series I’ve either been reading or listening to over a number of years. It had all the elements you’d want in a good book: twists and turns, pulse-pounding action (okay, perhaps that’s a little overly dramatic), places where I laughed out loud and others that brought unexpected tears to my eyes. Of the 14 books, I read 10 and listened to the final 4. I’ve known over the past several days that I was winding down the series, but even as I approached this day when I knew I’d reach the end of the last book I’d found myself in denial that it was ending. I know, that sounds overly dramatic too, doesn’t it?

I have been an avid reader my whole life; as a child I devoured books. They were a way for me to escape the more mundane aspects of life, and as a somewhat solitary child, helped ease my loneliness. I also realized that I was a writer: as a 10 year old I wrote  a couple hundred notebook paper pages of a novel about a black cowboy (I was very much into horses back then and fancied that I would become a cowboy sometime in my future.) I started writing a novel many (many) years ago. I’m not sure I’ll ever completed it and if I do if anyone would like it enough to publish it. One thing I’ve experienced in listening to the recent audiobooks is a sincere wish that I could craft as wonderful and intricate plot lines and characters as I’ve enjoyed the past few months.

I am grateful for books, for words both written and spoken. The power of words, the power of ideas, the power of books to spark thinking, conversations, revolutions. I will miss the characters from my latest books–those who died, those who battled and won, those who rode off into the sunset. I might shift to nonfiction for my next few listens to give myself a break from all the excitement: I have a few options that might be a bit calmer for me. Or I might plunge recklessly back into another science fiction book I have waiting in the wings. Decisions, decisions…

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Lessons in Gratitude Day 607

Posted on March 12, 2013 by mtchamblee

I am not a big fan of daylight savings time. I’m sure that once upon a time someone thought it was a good idea, and perhaps it is. But I find myself tired and cranky these first few days into the new time. (I can hear some who know me well suggesting that I was tired and cranky before the time changed…) Nevertheless I am mustering my energy to offer some simple gratitude this evening.

Tonight I am grateful for the various gifts of creativity that I have been blessed with. I am a singer-songwriter, and a story teller. Though one of my brothers is the family storyteller, his humorous and dramatic recounting of various family experiences rivals all the great bards and court jesters from back in the day. No, I am more of a story writer than teller, and I sometimes use my songwriting as a means of storytelling as well.

How can I forget how wonderful it is to sing? Why is it that I don’t sing every day? I seem to have moments of total amnesia when I forget, lose track of one thing that consistently takes me to a well of strength: my music. Not simply listening to it, though there’s power in that for me as well, but playing, singing. Last night I played and sang until my throat was scratchy and sore. I am contemplating singing again tonight, though perhaps not as vigorously. I am grateful for the place that music has in my life. Songwriting has allowed me to access and give voice to a variety of emotional states, those feelings pouring from my heart through vibrating guitar strings and vocal cords. Those emotions, that power, involve a spiritual exchange of energy between singer and listener–I connect to people as I sing and we are all affected, drawn in to the magic. Music frees and heals me. It is a gift that keeps on giving, blessing all who listen and/or feel the vibrations of the music.

I am also grateful for the gift of wisdom. It sounds almost presumptuous even in my own hearing to claim to have wisdom, and yet I find that it is somehow equally arrogant to act as if I don’t have it. As best I can I say it without ego: there are times when I can feel a gift of wisdom when I am in conversation with people. I have possessed the gift of wisdom for as long as I can remember: people listened to me when I offered thoughts, ideas, suggestions, insights, on a variety of issues. Now, I want to be clear that having wisdom doesn’t necessarily make a person a genius–I am as capable of making all kinds of missteps and dumb mistakes as the next person; one need only look at some of my life decisions in recent years. And yet, God graces me with insights to offer to other fellow pilgrims on this journey through life. I likewise frequently seek wisdom from others. I can remember my life coach saying to me many years ago, “I can tell you are an excellent coach in part because you are an excellent client–you listen and take in advice very well and so have much to share with others.” I am grateful for this gift and am gratified each time I offer a person some insight that helps them resolve an issue they are working on. Wisdom is another way to serve people and I am happy to do so.

I am about to go conk out in a few minutes after doing a quick meditation. I am looking forward to my body adjusting to the time change as quickly as possible so I can get back into some kind of rhythm. In the meantime I will do my best to exercise patience with myself and my off-kilter-ness. May it be so!

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Lessons in Gratitude Day 606

Posted on March 11, 2013 by mtchamblee

Here is what I like about God: When you really need an answer (really need), you get one. It might not be the answer you think you need. You might not even be aware that you asked a question. But you know that you’ve gotten an answer, even if it’s not the answer. Those who know me well can sometimes tell when I am struggling. Sometimes they do not. But God, that Entity about whom I wrote last night, knows even better than I do when I am struggling and when I might need to know that I’m not in this alone.

This morning I woke late. Yesterday morning I had taken a walk on the wild side and drank fully caffeinated coffee at 11:00 a.m. (I stopped drinking “fully-leaded” coffee a number of years ago, but I’d run out of it and had borrowed some regular coffee from my sister.) I have learned that drinking caffeine will cause me to be awake, usually wide awake, 12 hours after I’ve consumed it. Thus, I was wide awake at 11:00 p.m. last night, trying to will myself to sleep. Besides the caffeine, I had a number of somewhat troublesome thoughts on my mind. Foolishly I thought to banish them by listening to my audiobook, which, unfortunately is in a very dramatic and exciting juncture and if anything proved to be even more stimulating than if I had chosen something a little more contemplative. In fact, two beloved characters had died and I found myself mourning alongside the other characters who had been left behind trying to make sense of their deaths. Good heavens!

Thus my day ended somewhat as it had begun: with me being in a somewhat odd, cranky, fuzzy space. My weekend had in fact been an odd mixture of emotions that had left me feeling somewhat unbalanced. So this morning when I woke late, I managed to only write a single page in my morning journal. What I scrawled on that page was part SOS to God and part my usual well wishing to “all beings,” with which I almost always end my morning journal each day. “God–if you are ‘up there'” I wrote, “and if there’s something I need to see or do to improve where things stand in my life right now, I sure need your help…I need positive signs that all can and shall be well…”

As I dressed and engaged in my typical morning routine I found myself praying, talking to God, asking for help, asking for a simple acknowledgment of Divine presence with and looking out for me. One of first of many answers came as I walked the dog this morning. I looked on my phone and discovered an email from my teenage niece by way of sister. It was a virtual bouquet of flowers, with a message underneath that said, “We love you, Aunt Terry! Have a great week! All will be well.” All will be well. It’s a good thing no one was watching me as I trudged around the yard with the dog, my eyes blinded by the tears that had spilled out and run down my face. In the space of an hour, from the time I started writing my journal at 6:30 until the time I walked out of the house to head for work at 7:30, I received message after message that let me know God had heard me. I have learned from experience and practice that God speaks to me in many small ways, rarely in big booming ones; but nearly every time I’ve reached out recently and asked for a sign, it comes swiftly–this morning in a matter of minutes.

I am grateful for the “still small voice” that God uses to speak to me and for the signs I receive that let me know I am heard. As I said in yesterday’s blog, I am not looking for God to “swoop in and fix things.” For now, it’s simply enough for me to know that God is there.

© M. T. Chamblee, 2013

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Lessons in Gratitude Day 605

Posted on March 10, 2013 by mtchamblee

I have been having a lot of conversations with God lately. Mostly they have been one-sided–I talk a lot and God doesn’t say very much. Or I yell and swear at God and God doesn’t say very much. Sometimes I pose deep philosophical questions, “God, are you really ‘up there?'” but as usual, God isn’t particularly quick to reply. There have been times when I’ve thought that perhaps God doesn’t say much because God isn’t really listening; after all, in order for one to have something to say, one has to be paying attention, or at least sort of listening to the other person. So I’m not always convinced that God is listening.

I must confess to periodically trying reverse psychology on God. Perhaps, I reason, if I curse and swear and threaten to stop believing in a Supreme Being and act like I don’t care one way or another, the Supreme Being will reveal Itself to me. It’s a departure from begging and cajoling, which I also confess to doing periodically in an attempt to garner Divine attention. I can’t say that either of those approaches has more efficacy than the other, but the jury’s still out. So most days I take a more casual, conversational approach, talking about the things I am grateful for and whatever is on my mind, usually several times per day. Talking to God is a habit, a part of my life that I could not stop doing even if I wanted to, which, in spite of the inconsistency of Divine responses, I do not.

Lately I’ve been asking God for some clarity about one or two particular things in my life. While I could use some assistance with some of these things, I am not sitting back praying and waiting for God to swoop in and fix things. I don’t mind working on my own behalf, I simply need some clarity on which direction I should head. I am grateful for the gifts of strength and perseverance I’ve been blessed with, as I frequently draw upon them as I await the oft-requested clarity. A friend has told me more than once that I am “facing the cannon” in a particular area of my life, and that’s mostly alright. Though I periodically get weary of all the struggle, I seem to be granted just enough grace to carry me through to the next battle. I continue to recite portions of the poem, “Invictus,” reminding myself to “thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul.”

I am grateful to have been raised in a particular faith tradition. While I have left behind some of the dogma and doctrines of this tradition, I am grateful nonetheless for the discipline and principles that laid the foundation for my current spirituality. I will likely continue my conversations with God in the hopes that when God chooses to respond I will be able to interpret the messages I am given and can act accordingly. One can hope, or rather, one can have faith that this will happen. In the meantime I will continue offering expressions of gratitude for the blessings that surround me. So be it.

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Lessons in Gratitude Day 604

Posted on March 10, 2013 by mtchamblee

Oh dear. It is 11:41 p.m. and I am just starting to write this evening. I do try on most days to actually post my blog before 10 p.m. and definitely before midnight. This might be a wee challenge tonight, but let’s see how it goes. Perhaps offering simple gratitudes are best for a late night, short time frame situation.

  • I spent a rather quiet, low key day for the fist part of the day. I managed to do some much-needed cleaning: not my entire house, mind you, but some areas that needed a little extra attention. I confess to having to chase the blues a bit today, but then it has been an odd sort of week, what with the snow day tucked in the middle of the workweek. I’m grateful to have taken care of a few things around the house today and will perhaps take care of a few more things around the house tomorrow. Perhaps I’ll finally get my creche put away. (Surely by now Baby Jesus and family were in Egypt…)
  • I am grateful for music–being able to play as well as listen to it. Having been a singer-songwriter for 40 years (yes, 40) has given me such pleasure and joy over the years. It is a gift that runs in the family: both my kids are musicians, one mostly plays for personal enjoyment and self expression (she plays acoustic guitar and writes songs) and the other plays guitar in a band, is a magician at writing, recording, and mixing songs on his computer as well as playing piano, bass, and pretty much any instrument he picks up. It’s been said that music transports us to a different place, a different dimension; one can get lost in the music. It’s really something when you are the one who is doing the transporting, you are the one creating the vehicle that carries your listeners to another place.  There’s nothing quite like the connection I’ve been able to make with other human beings when I’m playing and singing. It’s amazing.
  • I am grateful for clear starry nights like this one. As the winter warms into spring (it was close to 60 degrees today), I am looking forward to sitting out under the stars some evening. Sometimes the cold, clear nights are the most beautiful. There’s something about the stillness of a clear wintry night when the stars and moon are bright in the sky. This evening as I left my sister’s house (where I’d been providing youngster care) the stars were marvelous. One of these days I’m going to find myself out in the country somewhere where there are few lights to mar the beauty of the night sky. I can remember being in Australia a number of years ago. Where we were situated out in the country the area was deeply dark and the stars were that much more brilliant. Of course the constellations looked a bit different “down under” but they were no less spectacular and beautiful.

Well I missed midnight this evening, but I’ll go ahead and post this now anyway. Tonight we “spring forward” one hour–not my favorite time of year a I’m likely to be tireder and crankier for the next few weeks as my body adjusts to it. I’m grateful for the lengthening days and the coming of spring. So many things to be grateful for, so little time! Time to post and take my rest. Tomorrow is indeed another day full of possibilities.

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Lessons in Gratitude Day 603

Posted on March 8, 2013 by mtchamblee

This evening as I was winding down, getting myself ready for bed, I became aware of the wonderful smells of the roast chicken and sweet potatoes I had cooked myself for dinner for tomorrow evening. This past week I had moments of efficiency during which I cooked meals for several days ahead. I have more dinners cooked than I’ve had evenings in which to eat them. The smells of rosemary and thyme that I used to spice the dish are wafting through the entire house and I find myself smiling and nodding in appreciation at the wonderful scents. So often when I am expressing gratitude for my senses, I don’t often focus on the sense of smell and yet, as I am reminded this evening, the myriad scents in the world around me can be just as wonderful to partake in as gazing at breathtaking vistas, being swept away by a beautiful piece of music or the cry of a hawk, or the relief of a cool breeze blowing on sweat-dampened skin on a hot day.

I am grateful this evening for olfaction–the sense of smell. It is yet another wonder of the human body that so enhances my quality of life in that it provides me the ability to sense and appreciate another beautiful part of the natural world. Once again, when I think about all the complex interactions of the physical, chemical, biological sciences that come together in the simple act of smelling, of taking in scents and smells and making meaning from what we’re sensing is nothing short of miraculous. In addition, the role of the olfactory organs in helping us smell and taste our food cannot be understated. Simply put, it is our sense of smell that connects with our ability to taste. If you can’t smell, your ability to taste is significantly affected.I am grateful for all my senses, and because I also tend to root for the underdogs, I wanted to give a little shout out to a less appreciated sense.

But I am grateful for the relatively good functioning of all my senses. I have worn glasses for the majority of my life, and in spite of the fact that I don’t see very well without them, I am grateful for the sight I have.  It has afforded me the opportunity to witness many beautiful, wonderful, miraculous things as well as the more “mundane” things of everyday life. But what is truly mundane? Literally every day I see something that makes me smile, that brings me pleasure, that deepens my appreciation of my life. Everywhere I turn I see something that I am grateful for, including the ability to see.

Tonight as I was reveling in the savory food smells wafting through my house, I closed my eyes and smiled, thinking how wonderful it was. The song, “What A Wonderful World” popped into my head. It reminds me of how the simple act of noticing the world around me, through whichever sense is activated at the time constantly reminds me that this truly is a wonderful world. And for that I am truly grateful.

I see trees of green…red roses too
I see em bloom… for me and for you
And I think to myself… what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue…. clouds of white
Bright blessed days….dark sacred nights
And I think to myself …..what a wonderful world.

The colors of a rainbow…..so pretty ..in the sky
Are also on the faces…..of people ..going by
I see friends shaking hands…..sayin.. how do you do
They’re really sayin……i love you.

I hear babies cry…… I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more…..than I’ll never know
And I think to myself …..what a wonderful world

(Songwriters: George David Weiss, George Douglas, Bob Thiele)

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Lessons in Gratitude Day 602

Posted on March 7, 2013 by mtchamblee

It is remarkable to be so tired after a day of doing virtually nothing during yesterday’s snow day. I dragged around much of today, feeling physically tired even though my mind was relatively clear. One of my colleagues at work noted a general lack of energy in our office suite that she’d also observed in other parts of the campus. That made me feel a little better, and while I’m happy to know that I wasn’t alone in my lethargy I was lethargic nonetheless. The old expression “misery loves company” applies here, but even with company, who wants to be miserable? Just wondering.

I am grateful this evening for the blessing of imagination. It is a useful thing to have when you’re tired and wishing for two weeks on a beach someplace warm and sunny. I can close my eyes and put myself there, sitting in one of those semi-reclining beach chairs, a fruity drink that comes in a hollowed out pineapple with one of those little umbrellas sticking out of it resting on one of the arms of the chair. I can hear the sounds of the surf (I’m not watching it, my eyes are closed) and feel a warm (not hot) breeze blowing over me. Of course I’m sitting under the shade of an umbrella so as not to be crisped by the UV rays of the sun. Ah yes, the power of imagination.

Sometimes I use my imagination to try to see into the mind or heart of a person I am trying to figure out. Often it is a person with whom I am in conflict. What is it that makes that person tick? Why are they the way they are and how can I use that knowledge to try and forge a good relationship with them? I believe that if I can figure out what makes a person behave as they do, particularly if that behavior is challenging to me, then I can try to adjust my approach to them in such a way that we can work together in more meaningful and effective ways. Of course this process also requires me to know myself pretty well also–what makes me tick, and what is it about this person that sets me on edge, puts me on the defensive, makes me uncomfortable? I use my imagination to construct answers to these hypothetical questions. Sometimes I am way off in my assessments–both of myself and of the other person–but more often than not my analysis of the person and the situation is pretty good.

When I’m trying to improve a relationship, I can’t spend all of my time and energy focusing on what’s wrong with the other person; I have to spend an equal or perhaps even greater amount of time pondering what in me is responding to them. Again, all of this is toward the end goal of being in better relationship with that person. It is through all this imagining that I construct a story that allows me to see them not as an “enemy” or adversary, but as a human being who has experienced challenges and struggles, joys and excitement, and the full range of emotions and experiences open to us all. And when I can see them in this light, my heart and mind are filled with compassion for them in their humanity. As best I can, I approach them from this place of compassion. And yet sometimes, even after all of this, the person remains an enigma to me and I am unable to find my way into a clearer, better connection to them. In that case, I use my imagination to create different ways to work around that person as best I can. It takes a lot of energy, but is usually worth the effort.

I know. I can hear you saying, “That is not what I expected you to write about when you expressed gratitude for imagination.” It’s one of the wonderful things about imagination: you can create all kinds of interesting plot twists and turns, goals and objectives, chord progressions and lyrics, doodles and sketches. The creativity of imagination manifests in as many different ways are there are neuronal pathways in the brain and as many individual people on the planet. Ain’t it great? That’s part of what makes this gratitude path interesting. Thanks for journeying along with me.

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