Gratitude

My daughter sat around our small wobbly white table in the kitchen plotting her next dessert jenga. Her class had made gingerbread houses and it was time to indulge. Having jarred free a frosted fragment with colorful candies she scarfed it down.

“Yuuuuuummmmm, thank you past me for making this, you did a great job”

She expressed her gratitude for having constructed such a delightful treat for herself. With a birthday adjacent to Christmas along with whenever Channukah falls, there is plenty of reasons for gratitude.

It’s a LOT of presents in very short order.

So appreciation and thankfulness are continual reminders. Its interwoven into the goodnight routine ticking off a few things that made us grateful today.

Save some space for the recycling workers in the city as it takes a few weeks to dispose of all the cardboard, plastic, and paper in an environmentally responsible manner.

Gratitude can take a limitless number of forms. It could be something kind a friend did at school when you fell down in gym class. Or the way the dog greeted you when you walked in the door. Maybe you really liked dinner and were grateful for your meal. The walk to the cove. And seeing a Sea Lion pop up to say hello while there. Mr. golden sun shining down. An extra special dessert outing just because. Not being a Chicago Bears fan. Anything to show regular appreciation and gratitude.

In 2025 the idea is to be more diligent about keeping our individual logs before bed. As a good real time record for review. Especially when you aren’t feeling grateful.

So I appreciate my daughter, never someone lacking confidence, that she could direct her reflections inward. And her Christopher Nolanish ability to comprehend (and transcend) time and space. To thank past self for smart actions.

Ebenezer Scrooge, please step away from your meeting with Vivek and Elon and read this. It’s going to save you a lot of time next Christmas Eve.