Once I made gratitude a central theme for my life, I have been a pretty happy person. Even in light of the many road blocks I have encountered, in the lottery of life, I am doing quite well.  At the end of each day before I drift off to the land of nod, I list the things of which I am grateful for, from the people I came in contact with that day, to some event or accomplishment, or to my own good health or the good health of others.  I might be thankful for the fox I got to see on my bike ride home from work one day. For this coming Thanksgiving, I’ve asked members of our Green Diva family to share one thing that they are thankful for this year. – GD Lisa

Here is what they had to say . . .

Green Diva Meg:

In light of recent events, I could write volumes about gratitude. Nothing like a dose of life-threatening illness in a beloved to slap one into a reality-check on just how much we love and appreciate that person in our world and wish for them to remain in it! Yes, we wish for them to not be in pain or discomfort, but selfishly we suddenly realize that we are indeed living in a cliché of not appreciating what we have until we are faced with the stunning fragile truth, enhanced by an open-ended hospital vacation. Of course, I’m talking about Wayne. We have been fortunate to have many wonderful years to dance the drama of life together and, as it turns out, probably many more. Phew.

The magnitude of my gratitude for all those family, friends, colleagues and even unknown fans who stepped up heartily with all forms of love and support is overwhelming. Not to mention the village of doctors and nurses who have conspired to not only save his life, but keep him comfortable and push away the terror of it all! I’ve said “thank you” a lot, but it somehow feels really inadequate.

I’m slowly awakening to the concept that a true experience of gratitude is a rooted understanding (if only momentary) that we are grateful for ALL of it. It isn’t just the happy sense of elation from getting what we wanted or wished for, but an all-encompassing sense that every staggering step towards the present moment was necessary. When I can stand in the moment and realize that it is so much  more than me and my petty and mostly superficial desires and close my eyes and see with greater clarity that there is a fabric of grace that is constantly flowing around me and my loved ones. In these rare moments that I can catch a glimpse of the gorgeous patterns of these brilliant threads of experiences – painful, frightening, exhilarating, confusing, healing, etc. – my eyes are temporarily stretched to see the overall beauty of a plan that I have little to do with. I’m glad to play my part and will try to do it with less complaint and more love.  

Green Dude Scott: Thankful for each other! OMG So thankful 🙂           

Green Diva Marie: I am grateful for many things . . . health, family and a roof over our heads. But I am most grateful for my relationships and my experiences that help me to learn and to grow – hopefully into a person who will have a positive affect in many people’s lives 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!!! marie wilson xo  

Green Diva Kimberly:  There is so much to be thankful for that one thing seems so hard to refine.  Family & Friends – I am thankful for the support of and opportunity to serve my family and friends.  What are we without the human connections that we make with others?  When all the other tangible, material things of this world seem to fall apart around us, it’s family and friends that show up and support that matter most.  I am truly grateful for them right now. Thanks! Kimberly  

Green Diva Nomi: I am grateful for living where I live and the freedoms that I enjoy — and I don’t take it for granted. It is more tenuous than many of us realize.  We celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada in October and unlike most of my counterparts in this country I don’t eat turkey. We eat mung beans and rice — a very healthy, simple and easily digested dish that reflects Thanks Giving very well for us. And this of course give turkeys everywhere someting to be thankful for. Many blessings, Nomi

Green Diva Heather: Oh dear.  I’m grateful for so very much – for being born in a society where what I could do was entirely up to how hard I was willing to work – that nothing could stop me but me – so not true for so much of the world; for having a God-given appreciation of nature and all that it means to each and every one of the 7 billion of us living on the planet; for having the continued belief and faith that we are going to figure this thing out and find the sustainable balance between us amazing humans and the rest of the amazing natural world;  that I’m grateful for being born when I was so that I might just be able to see the beginnings of that new world before I move onto the next.  

Green Diva Maggie: I’m grateful for the love of my family which gets me through the most difficult of times and makes me feel like I dance on clouds in the best of times.        

Green Diva Lisa: If I need to choose just one thing to be grateful for, I would thank my adopted Grandma (Unchi) Ellen, who helped me truly understand the value of “visiting.” When I was a child my Dad would pull me out of bed on a Sunday morning and take me “visiting.”  Sometimes we go see my Uncle Mac, or Rea Bolognini (who looked just like an Italian Maurice Chevalier and would sing “Mona Lisa” to me), or maybe we’d go see the Coogan’s or Nana.  We wouldn’t have to stay long or talk about anything profound, all we had to do was show up.  

When my kids were young, our house was like that, everyone knew they were welcome.  People would show up for a cup of coffee or dinner without even calling. It is in those unpretentious moments of conversation about something or nothing that we get to know each other and where we bond as human beings. 

If you don’t “visit” you are missing out and so are those with whom you would  “visit.”  It is remarkable how quietly powerful “showing up” is in each other’s lives. Be the person that shows up and be grateful to the people you have in your life to “visit.” A Thanksgiving gathering is the ultimate celebration of “visiting.”

Laima Adomaitis Brown: So grateful for the potential of a fresh start in each new day which every sunrise brings -or should I say the daily RE-INVENT- with its endless opportunities for hope and optimism! And thanking God for his genius in granting living things such an amazing (and forgiving) resilience in spite of …and even, against all odds! …peacelovejoyLaima