jan-pierce-round-thumbIt’s Thanksgiving week. I’ve been sick. When I’m sick, everything has a gray tinge to it. On top of that I’ve been shocked, as has half the country, by the election of our new President. I’m heartsick, but not broken.

I have so much to be thankful for and here are a few of my favorites:

  • Words
  • Words are just a bunch of squiggles until we string them together in a certain order. They can bring joy or pain, they can build up or tear down. For me, they’re a way to express the thoughts and beliefs I want to convey to others. They’re powerful. I’m thankful I can use words, even in a small way, to do good.
  • Babies
  • Babies of every species are a good thing. Even nasty creatures like hyenas and jackals are sort of cute when they’re first born. Fluffy little ducklings, kittens and puppies, baby lions and tigers– you get it–they’re innocent and they give us hope that there are still happy things in the world.
  • Laughter
  • There is just something about laughing that is good for our souls. I guess it’s good for our minds and bodies too. And when I hear a baby laugh, I know God is still on His throne.
  • Early and Late Sunlight
  • I love the light early in the morning when things are still quiet and waiting for the day. It’s that “before the fall” kind of time when nothing has interrupted nature with human noise, or destruction–it feels fragile, but it never fails to lift my heart. And I love the soft light late in the afternoon when the shadows cut sideways and there is a kind of yellow-greenness to finish the day.
  • A World Beyond
  • As beautiful as our natural world is and as much as we love our friends and families, life on a broad scale is full of strife and grief. Even those who don’t believe in God speak of “longing in our hearts.” We all know there is more. I believe every individual seeks to find and understand and somehow enter into the more. And that is a beautiful thing, the seeking and the finding.

Your thoughts? What are your favorite things? What gives you hope? What makes you smile? What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?