“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” Sarah Ban Breathnach 

Fall means one Thanksgiving, then another. That’s how I experience it here in my international community – Canadian Thanksgiving in October and American Thanksgiving in November. 

I’m glad. I need this reminder to be grateful. 

And not just in the fall. As I’ve been thinking about how to integrate thankfulness into everyday life, my thoughts turned to Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts, which I read a few years ago. Each page is saturated with inspiration. While reading, I was eager to follow her example and start a thankfulness list. I dreamed of the things I would put on my list and on the first day I noted several. Several more the next day, a few more the following. But my enthusiasm tapered and the list, which didn’t even reach one-hundred, never mind one thousand, is now gone.

I don’t want gratefulness to taper away once this season passes. I know the importance of making thankfulness a part of each day. In her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown says:

“Without exception, every person I interviewed who described living a joyful life …attributed their joyfulness to their gratitude practice.” 

I want to be a thankful person. I want to be a joyful person.

I want to experience everyday epiphanies. 

But how? It’s one thing to want something, an entirely different thing to make it an ongoing part of my life.  

I spent days pondering how I could develop a gratitude practice? None of my ideas took root, but when I saw one of my drawings I realized each time I paused to look at it I felt deep appreciation. 

The drawing was of a birthday gift I received from Brian and kids. A miniature bonsai tree. When I received the gift, I was captivated – it was exquisite. “I’m going to draw it,” I said. 

I had to push myself to do the drawing. It’s easy to dream, hard to do the work. I’m glad I did, but even on completion I had no idea the depth of meaning this drawing would hold. On that same birthday a friend was visiting – she was there when I received Baby Bonsai. With a summer birthday and people travelling, I’ve had some lonely birthdays. What a treat to show her my home, show her my city, and since we have this in common, talk writing. And the timing was wonderful. She arrived days after my grandma passed away and showed true friendship as she offered comfort. If all that wasn’t enough, for a gift she took me for a massage.

The drawing embodies all of this. 

So while I was trying to find my gratitude practice, it found me.

Isn’t that what practicing thankfulness means, discovering you already have more than you imagined?

But as often happens, it looks entirely different than expected. So my gratefulness discipline looks different than the next person’s. It’s a series of images, a series of moments when I’ve pushed myself to see, then recreate the good.  

When I look at Baby Bonsai, I can’t help be filled with thanks.