Gratitude

With Thanksgiving only days away, there seem to be many reminders that we should “be grateful”.

I have long held the belief that there is always something to be grateful for. I often share with my clients that even on our worst, most unhappiest days, one can find a reason to be grateful. Perhaps it is the hug of a dear one who has come to comfort you when your heart has shattered because your loved one has died. Perhaps you are grateful for beauty as you look at a raindrop clinging to a branch, or as you gaze at the sunrise promising a new day while painting the sky with colors that seem to have an inner light of their own. Nature offers us much beauty, thus much to be grateful for. Taking the time each day to appreciate moments of joy and glimpses of beauty is one of the best things you can do for a broken heart.

I understand that Thanksgiving and the coming holiday season is often a difficult time for some people, especially if you are grieving. I invite you to gather the beautiful moments and the memories of joy that can be a balm to your heart.

Here is a beautiful poem by the Vermont poet, James Crews. May it be a balm to your heart as it has been to mine.

Gratefulness

by James Crews

Gratitude passes through you
like the clouds of mood,
like rain turning to sleet
or gray skies breaking into blue.
It is only gratefulness that stays,
holding your trembling hand
beneath the hospital sheet
as you count each breath,
or jumping up and down
when you hear good news.
It is the faithful companion
we have always been seeking,
this feeling of fullness
that follows us everywhere 
we go, less like a shadow 
trailing the body, and more 
like a glimmer held in the heart
that promises never to leave.