November Days of Thanksgiving

November was my month of gratitude, where I posted something I am thankful for nearly every day on Facebook. It was a great experiment and I enjoyed being grateful for everything I could think of, from people, to places, to fundamental elements, and so many other things.

Here's the list I created, with the number of "likes" each post received. I'm sure it depended on which day I was posting, and the time of day, but some posts got a lot more likes than others. Friends education got the fewest likes, and I'm happy to report that my expression of gratitude for my husband David got the most, by far. (Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert came in second!).

What are you thankful for? Meister Eckhart said, "If the only prayer you ever said in your life was 'thank you,' that would suffice." It's been my experience that saying this simple prayer every day has a huge impact on the quality of living. And I'm grateful for that.

November Days of Thankfulness

Thankful today for my family, especially the wonderful visit this weekend from Caitlin and her boyfriend Drew. Also good times with Rachel and her BFF Julie. Food in the oven, fire in the fireplace, deepening mindfulness, and an interview about the AT on the horizon. SO grateful. (9)

Thankful for dawn light this morning as I arose (no more pitch black at 6 am!) and the gold and red leaves that surround me. (8)

Thankful today for the learning and teaching process, this miracle of intimate sharing between people. Thank you Alexis Martin for trusting me with your growth and for keeping me on my growing edge. (7)

Today I am thankful for the body's ability to heal. I am grateful for bodymind unity and inherent wellness, for organic resilience. (15)

Today's thanks goes to mail carriers, delivery people, waitresses, truck drivers, janitors, and all workers everywhere who do the basic tasks that keep our everyday lives functional. (9)

Today I am thankful for my little red car. It's 12 years old with over 100K miles and still runs just fine. It was free, given to us by David's mom when she could no longer drive, and although it is not the car I would have chosen, it serves me well. If you have reliable transportation, be grateful. (15)

Today's thing I am thankful for: My freedom to choose. I have a lot of liberty, both socio-politically, and -- most importantly -- psycho-spiritually. I can choose my reality to a great extent. I often forget this, so today I'm thankful to remember it. Namaste. (8)

Today I am thankful for the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). No really. (18)

Today I am grateful for WATER. For access to clean, potable water and reliable plumbing, I give thanks. Water is remarkable. It's the only substance that occurs naturally as a solid (ice), a liquid and a gas (water vapor). It's basic and it's something which all living things have a right to. (6)

On 11.12.13 I am thankful for [drum roll please]... the aging process! Yes, it's true. Getting older is a good thing. Even though it's often the reason for my complaints, and some aspects of it can be hard to accept (sagging skin, flabby tummy, arthritis), just consider the alternative. (8)

Today I am thankful for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, as proof that civilization isn't completely dead yet. (22)

Thankful for the kind of sunsets we get in the northeast in November. Tonight's was simply spectacular.  (6)

Late-breaking thankfulness: Friends education, specifically George School. (4)

Today's thing to be grateful for: naps! (13)

Thankful Day #17: I am incredibly grateful to have served for two years as Clerk of Bucks Quarter, Rel. Society of Friends (Quaker). I learned so much, met many new Friends and deepened relationships with old ones. This would not have been possible without the expert leadership of Holly DiMicco Olson, Coordinator extraordinaire, and the able assistance of Boris Simkovich, our new incoming Clerk. (And, tbh, I'm thankful to be finished!) (17)

Today I am thankful that I can read and write, and that some people can write very well indeed, and I can read what they write and enjoy it. (14)

Thankful for silence, and the ability from an early age to be able to spend time alone with myself, to find nurture in quiet solitude. (19)

Thankful for BREAKFAST!!! The best meal of the day. (4)

Today I am thankful for forgiveness and for my ability to forgive. (9)

I'm thankful for television. That's right. TV. The vast wasteland. The idiot box. Yep. (11)

I'm so thankful for FIRE and a lovely fireplace in my home. My whole childhood I wished we had a fireplace. I thought well-off people had fireplaces, it seemed like a sign of stability. So here's to being stable and well-off (more or less)! (24)

Thankful for my dad, Robert Ward. Thankful that I can feel grateful for him. (8)

I missed my daily post of thankfulness yesterday. So today I am grateful for two things: 1. Knowing the Alexander Technique and being able to teach it to others. 2. Being part of the Alexander community and having wonderful colleagues who respect and support me. (12)

Thankful that Caitlin is home for the long weekend! (13)

Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day for my growing ability to follow the way as it opens, no matter what. May we all become more available to meet life on life's terms, to be human in our guest house. Namaste. (11)

Today's thing to be thankful for: A new bed!!! My lower back is most grateful of all.  (12)

Thankful beyond words for my amazing husband, J. David Brimmer. He is kind, compassionate, intelligent, creative, a great father, a hard worker and wonderful provider, and in my case, truly my "better half." (45)