Thanksgiving as a habit of mind

In October 1789, President George Washington declared his support for a day of "public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God."

Do you have a Thanksgiving blessing or prayer? What are you grateful for?

An attitude of gratitude is not automatic. It only becomes a habit of mind through intentional and continual effort. When we consider the act of giving thanks, it is easy enough to set aside a particular time of day for a ritual, saying grace at mealtime for example. It is also easy enough to observe a particular day of the year to give thanks. There are the usual suspects. We give thanks for family and friends, for health and all the good things in our lives. We may extend our gratitude to others, including thanks that Aung Sun Suu Kyi has been released from house arrest or that the United States has at long last realized that health care is a human right and governments have an obligation to provide universal access to care for their citizens. We may even give thanks for enemies, for hard times and for the challenges in our lives that come to make us strong. However, thanksgiving becomes a new way to think and to move through the world when it becomes a mental discipline. Gratitude is moment my moment, day by blessed day.

Shopping for Thanksgiving dinner.

The Salvation Army bell ringer is friendly. I will have to remember to put change in my pocket for the kettle. Thank you. Looking for fresh greens, I see beautiful mustards, nice turnips, but the spinach is not so hot. Thank you. I decide to buy baby spinach that I usually use for salads. Let's see how this will work with the cooked mixed greens. Thank you. Looking for those cookies that they serve on Delta Airlines, I have just had a taste for them lately. I put Oreos in the cart. I see the biscuits made by this company and the cookies with chocolate, but not the cookies I want. Thank you. I have a pecan pie, and the Oreos. My son plans to make two sweet potato pies. That will be enough sweets to blow my diet all to pieces. Thank you. Looking for whole oysters in the can for the dressing, there are none on the shelf. One of the store employees tells me they are sold out. Thank you. I will have to go to another store. Thank you. Looking for Coke in the 7 ounce can, I see the 12 once plastic bottles, but I do not recycle the bottles so I will not buy them. Thank you. I go down the aisle a second time. I see the 7 ounce cans that I save for my neighbor who recycles them. Thank you. I pick up a DVD of Miracle on 34th Street, the original version. I have it on VHS but the VHS player is still packed from my last move. The DVD is nearly $15. A two disc set with a colorized version. I do not want the colorized version, and the $15 will take me over my budget. Not today. Thank you.

Waiting in line, I pick up "People Magazine." It is the sexiest man alive issue. Thank you. I think. There is not enough diversity in these selections. Thank you. I turn to the page with the fine George Clooney and the fine Brad Pitt. Thank you. These are two actors who use their celebrity for good purposes. Pitt is involved with building energy efficient houses in New Orleans through his Make It Right Foundation. Clooney has been active in bringing attention to the genocide in Darfur, and he is now raising awareness about the upcoming elections regarding independence for southern Sudan. In a just peace move, he is urging international involvement now in order to stop a violent conflict later, after the Sudanese elections.

It is the commitment of these men to making this world a better more peaceful place that makes them sexy to me. Thank you Brad. Thank you George. Thank you God. While the sexiest man alive lacks diversity, there are plenty of choices of candy that I see out of the corner of my eye while I unload my cart. Snickers, Almond Snickers, Dark Chocolate Snickers. I pick up a Dark Chocolate Snickers bar. Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants. Health food. Thank you.

I pay for my groceries, and I spend less than I budgeted. Thank you. I remember to put some change in my pocket for the Salvation Army kettle. Thank you. I put the money in the kettle. Thank you. I am on my street about to turn into the driveway when I remember that I did not buy oysters. Thank you. So, I drive past my house to go to a second store to look for the oysters. I find them. I buy two cans. Thank you. Now home, Dad and I unload the groceries. Thank you. I will have to rearrange the refrigerator before I can put the groceries away. Thank you. When that is done, I hear thunder and rain begins to pour. A thunder storm the Monday before Thanksgiving seems to be evidence for climate change. Thank you. I am home. My day is done. I get into bed to watch General Hospital on Soapnet. Thank you.

I am grateful to God, to the Creator-Redeemer-Sustainer God. I am grateful to Divine Love. I am grateful to Radical Love for every moment of this day. And, I am grateful for all the people who came into my life this day. I am grateful for the wind and the rain for the earth and the sunshine. I am grateful for the food I was able to buy and the food I wanted but did not find and did not need and thus did not buy. I am grateful for the day when everyone on earth can have shelter, more than enough food, and have all their basic needs met. I am grateful for the day when all will have sustenance and joy.

By Valerie Elverton Dixon  |  November 23, 2010; 2:24 PM ET Save & Share:                 
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