As we celebrate Thanksgiving and the bounty that is ours, it’s a GREAT time to reflect on gratitude and its many gifts. 

In practicing gratitude, we find ourselves enriched to be reminded of the ample abundance of our lives. 

The more obvious things that come to mind are family and friends (including the ones with fur, feathers, scales, etc.). If we woke up today—sheltered, warm and nourished—we are well on our way, especially given what others are suffering on our streets and in our cities.

In comparison to other parts of the world, the relative peace and safety of our lives here in the Upper Delaware River region is almost stunning. We might forget how richly our lives are endowed with abundant natural resources entwined with our daily routines. It’s easy to become complacent, and worth every ounce of awakening to all that we have here.

“When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude,” asserted English writer and philosopher, G.K. Chesterton. If we were to ask ourselves where we fall on this scale, what might the answer be? Are we satisfied with all we have, or convinced it’s not enough?

Even if what you’ve got is not a lot, gratitude turns what little there might be into something more. The simple practice of choosing to be grateful holds the potential to transform a life. 

Here’s another reason to consider practicing gratitude—it just might extend your life. In the November 2023 issue of the AARP Bulletin’s Special Report on “Super Agers,” award-winning television producer and screenwriter Norman Lear, now 100, identifies his “secret weapon” to be gratitude—the “hour-by-hour feeling of appreciation for the gifts with which we are born, or have had the ability to accumulate.” 

Even if the practice of gratitude doesn’t add days to your cache, the ones remaining will be all the better for it.

Around this time last year, my River Talk column was written in gratitude for community newspapers, and in particular, for this one and its faithful readers. Please take a few minutes to visit here, and to remember why such small presses and their dedicated staff are vital to our lives. 

This holiday season, gift yourself with the positive vibes that come along with an attitude of gratitude. Make it a daily practice to appreciate all the good that is coming your way. Embrace it, say thanks and watch your life expand with wonder and possibility as your great-itude grows.