Tonight we light the 7th candle of Chanukah.
The question today is:
For what 7 things are you grateful?
Here are mine (not in order):
- Creativity – the constant flow of ideas and projects that stimulate and give me a zest for life. This takes the form of putting lesson plans together or knitting or gardening or taking photos. Creativity is like a well and I’m grateful I can dip into it.
- Fulfilling Soulful Work – I am grateful to do work that serves others and helps them grow into the people they are intended to be. In addition, I appreciate the support of my team so I could publish three ebooks this year, one of them being on gratitude! It’s here if you haven’t downloaded it yet.
- Health – At a time where so many people are in the hospital with COVID, I’m grateful. I am also profoundly grateful for the health care workers who have taken care of us all at tremendous cost to themselves.
- Poetry – I’m grateful to poets like Mary Oliver, John O’Donohue, David Whyte, Mark Nepo, and Billy Collins. They help me see the world in new ways that can’t be described by logic.
- The relationship with my mom, who always believed in me, and taught me the importance of being open and honest. My grief about losing her a few months ago is tempered by this gratitude.
- The birds & other creatures that come visit our feeders, the squirrels that tease Bo all day, and the occasional hawk that comes and sits on the fence looking magnficent.
- Democracy. I will never EVER take our system of government for granted again. I’m grateful that we get to have a say in our leadership and the laws that govern our behavior.
Now it’s your turn.
For what 7 things are you grateful?
— Download my latest free Grateful Workbook here.
— I’ll be posting a new question each day with a photo of our precious #Bo, our Labradoodle. For my favorite potato latkes recipe click here. For the Chanukah candle blessings, click here.
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Gratitude 1. Beautiful walks at the beach. 2. My kittens. 3. A safe place to live. 4. My recovery community. 5. My Jewish community. 6. I have a new beginning. 7. My health.
Thank you Sylvia for sharing your lists each night. I look forward to them!
Is it wrong to feel guilty about having gratitude? It feels wrong to be thankful when so many people are suffering in every corner of the earth. (Part of my privileged white male guilt syndrome!) My mind says “yes, be grateful for you are much blessed” but my heart weeps. I am grateful to be able to connect to the wonderful community that gathers with Rabbi Jill.
Dear sweet Bill – IN MY OPINION – Unequivacly no – it is not wrong to feel gratitude, even while knowing that others are suffering. In the same vein, it’s not wrong to pray for good health while others are in the hospital. What you pay attention to grows. Your gratitude is an energy and it’s a way of saying Thank You. It’s a way to be present. It matters not only for you but for the world. The more grateful we are, the more (I believe) we want to do good for others. Gratitude helps us connect with the good. Tell me your thoughts.
I am always comforted, informed, or both by you. For that I am grateful. I love the concept of “what you pay attention to grows” and that does seem to apply to many areas of life. I am hopeful that gratitude does connect me with the good, because that connection is pulled very thin right now. I need to work on feeling gratitude while my heart aches because it doesn’t simply flow through me.
But, honestly, I’d rather struggle with this than not have a heart that aches for those who suffer! To me, that would be like being dead while still being alive. Thank you so much for helping me to see the light in the world while also not being afraid to battle the darkness.