When you live in the Bay Area, and your whole state is up in flames and the country, too, but more figuratively than literally, it can be hard to find what you can be grateful for. I’ve come to believe it’s an important practice, though, even as negativity, doom and gloom nip at your heels….
Tag: November
A love like no other: November Days of Gratitude
The moment my daughter was born, I remember being shocked — not by her miraculous birth (because it had been a ridiculously long and difficult labor and delivery — kind of a miracle I made it through) but because I knew in that very second that I would walk in front of a moving train…
November Days of Gratitude: When autumn colors remind us to slow down
I stood by our mailbox, in the rain, yesterday and as I gathered all the flyers, bills, and catalogs in my arms, I noticed for a minute how beautiful and quiet our street was. The day’s light was waning even while the pavement glistened. The trees are full of color, finally. In the Bay Area,…
November Days of Gratitude: oh, Life’s lemons!
Life is so Yin and Yang . . . you’d think at my age, that wouldn’t come as a surprise or even a complaint. I know in my heart that in order to truly see the brightness, we also have to spend a little time in the Upside Down (Stranger Things anyone?). So much as…
November Days of Gratitude: When one day rolls into the next
My days of gratitude, in and of themselves, have been something to give thanks for. They have centered me, grounded me to the blessings in my life. It has been a slowing down of the crazy pace we’ve accepted as “normal” and given me time to reflect. Mostly. Except yesterday — when I had to…
November Days of Gratitude: The Power of Voice and Exercising the Right to Vote
I teach English Language Arts to middle school children, but what I really teach children is how to find their voice. I teach them to not only perfect their voice in their writing, but to exercise their voice when they share with in partners and in whole-group discussions. In between the lines, I teach children…
November Days of Gratitude: Friendship
November 7th: At the risk of being too gushy — or wordy — today I am grateful for friendship and for the role of social media, particularly Facebook. I know FB has its many faults and those anger me along with the rest of you, but hear me out. While FB hasn’t done much for…
November Days of Gratitude: The Gift of Comfort Food
Man, I’ve struggled with today’s post. My focus is on gratitude and it’s not that I’m not thankful for much, but that I’m thankful for so much — and what is worthy of a post, now that can be a struggle. But I finally came up with the thing. The weather has turned around here,…
November Days of Gratitude: The dog that rescued us
I’ve started this three times already because Toby, our yellow lab, makes it very clear that he belongs only to Husband, and I’ve wondered if I can express what he means to the rest of us. He’s a one-person kind of dog; he tolerates, and sometimes loves the rest of us, yet he is easy…
November Days of Gratitude: RAIN, glorious rain, and a little bit of serenity.
Nothing makes you appreciate the gifts of the universe like having something taken away. Like rain. Live in a drought long enough and rain becomes something sacred, a blessing, a cleansing. Rain is celebrated — loved even. So I was downright giggly when I woke up at 4:00 AM to the sound of rain hitting…
Thanksgiving and a Month of Gratitude: Try it!
Truth be told, Thanksgiving is maybe my favorite holiday. I know it’s based on a myth and a history that makes me cringe — but the holiday I celebrate now, a holiday that marks some time off from work, is a chance for me to center again on gratitude. November gives me a time to…
Barbara Ganias Comstock 