Thanksgiving is over and many of us are done picking at the leftovers of turkey, stuffing, and gratitude. After a month of giving thanks, have you lost sight of what gratitude is beyond word and breath?
Cultivating the discipline of gratitude is an act of being present in word and deed.
This year I want to cultivate a thankful heart for the seemingly mundane, the belabored and burdensome moments. It’s in those moments that all the doings of the world are nestled. They are tucked into the centricity of the temporal.
I know they’re there for a reason and that I have much to learn from them. These unsung moments populate my life and if I ignore them, I’m closing myself off from the teachable.
In that spirit, here’s step one in my life. I’m thankful for the concrete, textured steps that lead up to my office door. I want to slow the pace of my short ascent to consider all those who will be making the journey down later that day at varying paces–some will skip, others trudge, and some will slink down, worn thin by the difficult work of that hour. Whatever the pace and tenor of the walk, I want to remember that those steps bear the momentary weight of self-revelation, unique and distinct for each person descending.
If gratitude remains immaterial, you may miss the resplendence in the mundane. What are the concrete, textured steps in your world? What do they whisper about gratitude?
I like this. The accending the steps gives you the opportunity to slow down and ponder those who will be involved with you that day. As I age and am less busy, I send more cards and postcards. I pray for each family member and I address the card.