Thank you !

I do not even know you …know anything about you at all. I do not know your name; where you live; what activities keep you busy; what language you speak. Nonetheless, I am thankful for your presence and the talents, gifts and kindnesses you bring to the world every day.
I cannot wallpaper; I cannot grow mangos or pineapples; I cannot pick sugar cane or raise turkeys. The list of things I ‘cannot’ do far exceeds those that I can. Life is full of “zillions” of things, large and small, that take place every season, month, day…every moment that must fall into place to make life what it is for every one of us. Things that take place in languages I have never heard of, on continents I will never get to visit; things that take place for far different reasons than imaginable.

Thank you !

I imagine that the list of people I need to thank is endless. Each individual offers so much towards the interconnectedness and wellbeing of us all – to thank each for all the things they contribute without even knowing it would take many lifetimes. These days I offer a single collective ‘thanks’ and trust that it will reach the hearts of everyone. Every day I start out with a single statement:

“Thank you Universe for taking care of Everything at the highest possible level”.

I used to try to list off everything, and everyone, I was grateful for. The list was enormous – and grows every day as my understanding of life continues to grow. I used to think that not being specific was a ‘cop out’; like saying the ABC’s really, really fast and skipping over the letters. I used to think I could figure out what was best to wish for for every person on my list – but the complexities of a single life elude me – let alone the lives of many.

I am sincerely thankful for everything. I will never know everything; understand everything; or agree with everything. I am thankful that there is so much to learn and appreciate about everyone I meet. I am grateful for the complexities of the universe and the possibilities that are everywhere. I am humbled many times a day by the people I meet, by the sights I see, and by new experiences that show me again and again how we are all similar at heart and diverse in expression. I am humbled by my failures.

As Thanksgiving approaches this year, I will continue to ‘give thanks’ in my small way and to wish blessings for everyone. I am thankful for everyone I know, and everyone I don’t know. Someday perhaps we shall meet and it will be my pleasure to tell you in person, “Thank you!”.

November 2009