givingthanks.

i am grateful for this body: these strong arms and scraped knees. these myopic eyes and sensitive ears. these nibbled nails and small hands. these red painted toenails on feet that could never model. this brown hair with strands of gray and these creases at the edges of my eyes and mouth. grateful for this sacrum which grounds me, this naval which feeds my desire,  this abdomen which strengthens my will, this heart that breathes compassion, this throat which communicates, this third eye which intuits and this crown that understands. this flowing blood that supports, these lungs that accept and release, this skin that protects.

grateful for this mind that keeps exploring and this consciousness that keeps expanding.

grateful for this resilient humor. and for these mercurial moods which lead me forever to balance.

grateful for the wind in the trees, and the sun above the heavy and full clouds. grateful for the rains that fall to the roots that drink for the stems that ferry to the leaves that collect from the sun that shines for the fruits that develop to encase the seeds that hold….promise.

grateful for this food that sits on our tables today and on all days. grateful for the soil in which it grew, and to the hands that harvested it and prepared it. but also shamefully aware of unseen sacrifices that were made against the will of the earth and at the expense of humans for some of what we are eating…hence grateful to the earth and to those humans and thus committed to creating change that will lessen those sacrifices and heal those pains.

grateful for my mother who gave me life and then offered the most nurturing nine-month home in which to begin. grateful for my father who gave me life and whose love has always been given boundlessly.

grateful for my family and friends who gift their time and presence and grateful for people everywhere contributing to the collective love.