This time last year, there was a lot of uncertainty.  We won’t go into details, but if you don’t remember, good for you!

And here we are at Thanksgiving again. 

Decades ago, G. K. Chesterton wrote,  “You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”

We say grace – or thank you -- to you who read our blogs, attend our webinars, share our posts and tweets and support us financially.  We relish the comments on Facebook or by email and love the ideas and suggestions you send our way.   Alive ‘n Well is thrive ‘n weller with you and we thank you!

And we couldn’t be more grateful to the many who have purchased our new book, “Class is (Always) In Session.”  If you haven’t already, the link to do so is included in this post.

Our sincere desire for you is that when you sit down this Thanksgiving—whether alone or with many—at a sumptuous feast or merely leftovers—you are filled with a gratitude that transcends food, football or any feelings, really.  We hope you are mindful of the gift of your unique presence in this world; that you matter.

As we began with a quote, so we end.  This from Thornton Wilder:  “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”

Have a graceful Thanksgiving and may your hearts and minds be full of the many treasures of life!

My brother Jim used to travel by plane for his work a lot more than he does now.  And for a while, so did I.  In an amazing coincidence, once he called me while we were both inside the Twin Cities airport in Minnesota- he was leaving and I was arriving.  No time to meet, but we laughed at the irony -closer than a mile and yet connected only by phone.

The other night, my niece gave us a concert via Zoom.  Probably 1400 miles away and connected by smiles and sounds. 

Two people can live in the same house or sit in the same pew in Church and the distance can be felt more than a mechanical kiss or perfunctory sign of peace.

Alice and I recently watched a documentary of a woman who was raised in the Arctic, went back again in her 20s and then again in her 50s.  She told lessons of survival, simplicity, gratitude and strength.  And then I read an article in the Times about a 37-year-old woman diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer rejecting the idea of a bucket list.  She just wanted to enjoy living and loving and experiencing life as she could.

What do airports have to do with the Arctic and technology with terminal illness?  It’s about being awake, aware, alive and in touch with what is going on now- certainly outside of me (what I can change) but most acutely that truth that is deep within.  Nothing is as close to us as the true self that so wonderfully bugs us to live in freedom and joy.