“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”  
– Cicero

The eastern light is a dim suggestion when I wake up these days. The air at the windows suggests that I bundle up—the day will be brisk . When I go downstairs, an abundance of windows and slider doors draw my gaze out to the natural world. Maybe there are deer in the meadow or birds at the feeder, or not. The trees offer a view through their bare branches of the sky’s amplifying light. Maybe there will be sun, but even if it is cloudy (as it so often is here), it doesn’t matter. However the outdoors comes at me, I am always grateful.

I’m also grateful for the tea kettle’s quick work to boil the water, for the chance to select the tea best suited to the here-and-now, for the filled mug that warms my hands as I take my time taking in the new day.

After a lifetime of Doing I am building a habit of Being. The stillness of my home mirrors an appreciation for the rising stillness within me. It is a relatively new habit. It has improved my eye for peace and quiet and beauty, and also for the consideration and compassion of others.

A companion to slowing down is the opportunity to build a better practice of gratitude. Practicing gratitude began in my mid-twenties, when I learned that it is a generous balm against some darknesses that were holding me down. However, until recently it was done in a scattershot way. I was too busy in my life as a Human Doing.

Not that “doing” was (or is) wrong or bad. I have gotten a lot done in this lifetime, much of which has left me with feelings of humble pride and accomplishment. And I haven’t skidded to a complete stop, either! It’s just that at this point in life I am building capacity for being more deliberate about how to fill the hours of my day. No longer are they jam packed with Stuff To Do. I have gotten better at recognizing my boundaries against the needs and demands of others. It is another learned skill and a real gift, to know at last how to say, “thanks, but no.”  

Now it is November, my favorite month. November calms me. It comes, blessedly, before the rising pressures of Christmastime. It brings soup season, and a good book by the fire, and brisk walks. Whatever the year has held, things seem to exhale in November. The projects and chaos and messiness of the inevitable activities of spring and summer tend to be winding down, at least here where the snows of winter arrive to muffle the bustle.

The entire month of November is a touchstone for my good intentions to practice gratitude. It brings my favorite holiday, one that is as undemanding as holidays get. The “thanks” in Thanksgiving prompts me to be grateful every day. When she was little, my daughter found notes of thanks taped to the bathroom mirror every morning in November. When I was teaching, my students could get points back on their grades if they built the habit by expressing gratitude in some way every day that month.

There are so many things for which I am grateful. I am grateful for friends who take me as I am. For a good education that has allowed me to discern and think critically. For ample health and vigor. For having lived long enough to iron out a lot of the wrinkles of youth. For wise and decent people.

In a world where there is so much trouble (plus an escalation of disconcerting actions and behaviors), I am grateful for each friendly hello, each smile from a stranger. In a world where there is a lot of pain, I am grateful for those working to ease the pain of others (and their own). It’s work. It’s all work. I am grateful for not being afraid to work hard.

These days, I am also grateful for having learned how to stop working, to take a deep breath, to remember the goodness of the morning and other things. The opportunity to express gratitude is almost everywhere. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you all.