December 2011
9 posts
11 tags
SPACE, AS A REMINDER
From the moment we traveled to space and looked back on this big blue ball, we changed. It was like looking in the mirror for the first time.
In science fiction, space is filled with planets ready for us to beam down onto and enjoy. These stories let us explore what it means to be human. In reality, as we peer deeper and deeper into space, we are reminded how spectacular and rare Earth really...
YOUR LONG OVERDUE VACATION
Scientific studies prove that you need a two week vacation (one week is not enough, and more than two weeks isn’t strictly necessary). When that long overdue vacation rolls around, you feel grateful before, during, and after.
You return to your regular life a better person. Better able to handle everyday stress. More productive at work. Funnier. A better lover. Okay, that last part is made up,...
12 tags
HOSTELS
It ain’t the Marriott, and thank goodness for that. Young people from all over the world get to travel on the cheap and befriend kindred spirits.
If only all international relations were made this easy. Without the dubious bedding and moldy coin-op showers.
6 tags
RAIN
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY STEFANIE NAGORKA
It’s been raining here in New Jersey for over a week now. Everything feels damp and swollen. Even the dollar bills in my wallet are limp. I was getting very tired of the rain, and then it began to peter off and hope sprung up for a sunny day.
But the rain has started up again tonight with a vengeance. Heavy hard rain beating...
2 tags
WHEN THE WILDERNESS FEELS LIKE HOME
The wild places we visit become part of us. When we return as adults to the places where we camped with our families as children, experiencing the sights and sounds and contours of that wilderness can feel almost like visiting a childhood home. This is a real possession.
4 tags
OLD FRIENDS
Old friends are a real treasure. They really know us. We really know them. And yet we still love each other.
The amount of time we’ve spent with someone is important—like a retirement account, friendship compounds and accrues over time. Sometimes, even the sound of your old friend’s voice on the phone can bring you comfort.
Old friend All the stories to tell Old friend Could you...
3 tags
PEOPLE WHO FACE OBSTACLES THAT MAKE YOURS FEEL...
There you are, feeling sorry for yourself, cursing your terrible situation. Then you meet someone who makes your problems seem trivial by comparison.
You’re reminded of what it means to be a human being, to face life with an indomitable spirit. Their strength makes you stronger.
6 tags
LUCILLE BALL
We don’t know who has given the greatest number of people the most laughs, but Lucille Ball has to be up there, maybe at the very top. Her show I Love Lucy has aired continually in syndication since the 1950s.
Perhaps most important, Lucille Ball proved that a woman could be at once beautiful and hilarious—and in doing so, inspired generations of girls to be fearlessly funny.
Lucy, we...
3 tags
MOTHERS IN SPIRIT
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY VALERIE GREEN
I am grateful for all the women that have been mothers to me in my life. Especially the ones in my teens and after my own mother had passed away. Thanx Momz!
November 2011
3 posts
2 tags
FRESHLY FALLEN SNOW
You grab a coat and step outside—everything is quiet, as only the snow can make it.
Children laugh as they make perfect angels. The world has been remade.
6 tags
ELISABETH KUBLER-ROSS
Her 1969 bestseller, On Death and Dying, helped define the modern hospice movement. In those facing terminal illness, she saw a pattern: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. These nonlinear stages became known as the Kubler-Ross Model, and applied to people facing any loss.

She helped us understand grief itself. Her approach helped improve the mental health of millions of people...
4 tags
THANKSGIVING
This is one holiday that can be celebrated by anyone from any faith. Gratitude is universal, and all are welcome at the table. Even your idiot uncle.
The meal? The word “stuffing” says it all. And other than the family drama, is there anything that gravy doesn’t make better? The topper is the pumpkin pie, and for that you want some whipped cream and a cup of coffee.
Thanksgiving means...
October 2011
1 post
3 tags
STEVE JOBS
Thanks to him, we don’t do Windows. In a world dominated by engineers who love to say no, Steve Jobs said yes—make it happen. He had a vision: to see beauty triumph over ugliness. He didn’t want us to just buy products, but to have great experiences—and we did. We still do. Thank you, Steve. We are forever grateful. See you in the cloud.
July 2011
2 posts
5 tags
THE MUSIC AND LYRICS OF GEORGE & IRA GERSHWIN
They’re writing songs of love, but not for me.
Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you.
Nice work if you can get it, and you can get it if you try.
Summertime, and the living is easy.
’S wonderful, ‘s marvelous, that you should care for me.
The way you wear your hat, the way you sip your tea, the memory of all that, no they can’t take that away from me.
No, they...
6 tags
WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE
Suffrage is the right to vote and to run for office. Less than 100 years ago, only men had these rights (and, in most nations, only certain kinds of men).
To get their rights recognized, women had to win battles on many fronts. They fought overseas in WWI, and they fought in the streets at home, to convince the men to vote in favor of women’s rights.
Today, as voters, women can make the...
June 2011
6 posts
6 tags
NOVOCAINE
Let’s see, looks like you need a filling. Oops! Make that a root canal. So… we’ll cut the top off your tooth, drill down, and pull out the nerves. Oh, I almost forgot, here’s a ruler—when you feel the pain, just whack yourself across the leg so that pain will distract you from the other pain. Ready? Here we go!
That’s what life was like before Novocaine.
Novocaine...
4 tags
DAD BEHIND THE WHEEL
It doesn’t matter if he’s the worst driver or the best, driving with Dad is an experience to remember.
At some point in your life you realize: Dad’s driving style says something about his approach to life—how to assert yourself, be cautious, be reckless… Or maybe just how to insult bad drivers.
He has his favorite roads, and roads not taken. Points at things in the...
3 tags
WORKING IN THE GARDEN
It feels so good to be out there in the dirt, even if you have no idea what you’re doing. The simple acts of digging, weeding, watering are therapeutic. You’re giving to something other than yourself. You’re more connected to the rhythms of earth and sun. Flowers, insects, worms, animals, the whole bit.
For thousands of years, our ancestors farmed the land. It touches...
6 tags
MONTY PYTHON
These bastards changed everything!
Gone was the assumption that one sketch should end properly before another began. Instead, one flowed right into another. Or invaded it. Who could tell? Chaos!
They were performers who wrote their own material. Who did they think they were, Shakespeare!? Pish!
Nothing was sacred. They took the most revered subjects—King Arthur, Lumberjacks, Sperm, Grannies,...
4 tags
THE BACKYARD
Do you have a backyard? Then you have your own personal park.
It’s peaceful back there. A world apart. Just sitting in the back yard feels good. Or tending to it. Watering it. Having some friends over for a barbecue. Time to roll out the slip-n-slide. Now you’re talkin’.
5 tags
VOLUNTEERS
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY ALLISON MERKS
Wherever a man turns he can find someone who needs him. —Albert Schweitze
If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito. —Betty Reese
What would our world be without people volunteering their time and energy? How would our homeless shelters, health organizations, animal shelters, etc.,...
7 tags
OTHER PEOPLE'S WEDDINGS
When you’re still single, other people’s weddings let you step back from your wild and crazy ways and reflect on what it means to have a life partner, and what you might be looking for.
If you’re already married, a wedding gives you a chance to reflect back on your wedding day and feel renewed love for each other.
Weddings are fun even if you don’t know the people...
May 2011
22 posts
8 tags
THE SELF-HEALING BODY
Car parts last a few years. Our body parts, on the other hand, last for decades without repair—they repair themselves! We are a walking miracle of miracles.
In fact, what we often call “medicine” is merely letting the body heal itself. A cast does nothing more to heal a broken bone than hold it in the right position for the self-healing body to do its thing.
For millions of years,...
11 tags
THE USO
Thank you, USO, for bringing laughter and music to service members around the world for generations.
Chief among your legendary entertainers was Bob Hope, who served the USO and the troops for decades. In more recent times, Stephen Colbert performed with the USO in Iraq.
USO Facts: The USO was inspired by FDR, who wanted entertainers to help boost the morale of troops in WWII. The...
9 tags
FUNNY, BEAUTIFUL MOVIES
Some people think drama and comedy should be strictly separated—and for many years in movies and television, they were. When the film Annie Hall came along in 1977, people could hardly believe that something so funny could also be so beautiful.
Annie Hall was followed by many movies that blended humor with real feeling. Movies like:
Moonstruck
Four Weddings and a Funeral
The Royal...
8 tags
MY CHILD'S LAUGHTER
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY JENNIFER HARDY
I am grateful for my child’s laughter!
7 tags
DOGGIE SIGHS
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY HAVA BERMAN
When my dog settles inside my arms for a long nap, she lets out a long, happy sigh while she closes her eyes. When I hear that sound, I know she’s comfy. She feels safe and I feel calm and happy.
5 tags
THINGS THAT MAKE ME UNCOMFORTABLE
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY ERIC WILINSKI
Art, movies, music, books—if it makes me uncomfortable, it makes me think about who I am, what I’m not, what my biases are, who I aspire to be, how society lifts us up and fails us. It makes me think about what it is to be human in the here and now, and by definition makes me smarter.
5 tags
MISSING YOU
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY JULIA OSOVSKAYA
It’s not always easy to find something good about missing someone, but having a person to miss is a blessing in itself.
14 tags
THE CHUTZPAH AND SMARTZPAH OF JON STEWART
Thank you, Jon Stewart. Thank you for restoring sanity, or at least putting insanity in check. Thank you for somehow maintaining perspective and not being a reactionary despite the dailiness of your show. And thank you for that dailiness, a constant reassurance that intelligent scrutiny is alive amid a gaggle of media monkeys throwing and eating their own poo.
Let us not forget to also thank...
10 tags
MINDBLOWING PUBLIC ART
(Above: “Cupid’s Span,” Claes Oldenbeurg and Coosje van Bruggen, San Francisco, California)
Public art doesn’t sit in the rarefied air of a gallery or a private collection. It’s in our public space—parks, plazas, town squares—ready to blow minds and change the perceptions of all who encounter it.
Thanks, public artists. Your public is grateful.
6 tags
A HOT SHOWER AFTER CAMPING
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY ADRIENNE BIZZARRI
The weather was great, the kids had a ball, nature was at it best, the family reconnected, and another positive: there was no electricity involved. After a week of bare feet and swimming in the sea and a five hour drive back home, nothing beats walking through your front door, making your way to the shower, entering that cocoon of...
6 tags
THE INSPIRATIONAL LENTEN ROSE
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY MANDY GORDON
I am eternally grateful for the amazing and beautiful Helleborus Orientalis, also known as the Lenten Rose. It happens every March. Just when I think I can’t stand another day of cold, gray, and “in like a lion” weather, I look out my window and see a miracle. A simple sign of grace that hope is alive and life triumphs...
6 tags
THE LIFE-SUSTAINING SOUND OF BUSKERS
Buskers bring music into even the most stone-silent financial district. There you are, striding purposefully back to your important meeting, when you hear it…
That song is special to you—how did they know? Or maybe that song sucks, but they’re playing it with feeling. And feeling is the point, isn’t it? Buskers bring emotion to the places we least expect it.
The next time you...
5 tags
THE EBULLIENT SOULFULNESS OF SAM COOKE
Don’t know Sam Cooke? Then you don’t know much about history, but that’s okay, neither did he…
Don’t know much about history Don’t know much biology Don’t know much about a science book Don’t know much about the French I took But I do know that I love you…
Thank you, Sam Cooke, we love you, too. And we’re grateful you brought soul to...
6 tags
MOM'S COOKING
You have the recipes, follow them to the letter, and make what is technically the same dish Mom made.
Still, it’s never quite the same.
Of all the things she made, there are those specialties of hers. Maybe the poached eggs, the BLT, or the berry pie? No one else will ever be able to touch Mom’s magic.
The best you can do is prepare and enjoy these things in her honor.
Thanks,...
5 tags
WORKING MOTHERS
Being a mother is a full-time job. In fact, the job produces some of the most valuable things in our society. Ironically and sadly, neither our market system nor our tax code places much value on what mothers produce.
On top of the job of motherhood, most mothers must add another full time job, either out of financial necessity (competing with other families who do the same) or out of their own...
6 tags
SHARED EXPERIENCE
It’s all too easy for our lives to become isolating. We might drive alone to work, sit in a cubicle all day, talk to others mostly through a screen, then check Facebook (a proxy for shared experience).
We long for real shared experience—spending time with others in our communities or with our friends and neighbors; going to our local theater; physically working shoulder to shoulder with...
5 tags
BEING ABLE TO WORK FROM HOME WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE...
One of the side benefits of the Internet, and of being reduced to a brain that can type, is the fact that we can work from home when we’re sick. If we’re so lucky, we can preserve our full five to ten days of annual vacation.
Thanks, compooterwebs, you’re the best.
5 tags
THE ENDURING SENSUALITY OF BOOKS
Some books are hundreds of years old, some only decades. Not one of them needs a software update. No spyware, no screen glare, no flashing ads to draw our attention. The list of virtues goes on and on.
Printed books remind us that books are more than their content. Reading is a sensual experience. Books are treasured artifacts. They add gravitas and color to any room. And they can be good...
8 tags
GETTING READY FOR WALKIES (TAKING YOUR DOG FOR A...
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY AILISH MCGRATH
Taking the dogs for a walk is known as “walkies” in my house. All it takes is the opening of the closet door where the leashes are stored for my dogs to know it’s time for their walk. The excitement and anticipation in their eyes as we prepare for our walk is remarkable. They truly embody the notion of living in the...
8 tags
FRUIT TREES
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY NAD PHILIPS
I am grateful for the beauty, generosity, basic goodness and life-giving attributes of a fruit tree. A fruit tree is proof of the intelligence of the universe.
Fruit Tree Facts: The most popular fruit trees in America are apple, peach, pear, plum, apricot, sweet cherry, tart cherry, and nectarine. Nut-bearing trees such as almond,...
5 tags
DISCOVERING A NEW DEPTH OF GRATITUDE FOR YOUR...
You were too young to fully appreciate everything your mother did for you. For the first three or four years alone, you couldn’t even form detailed memories. Your appreciation for her may have been fully felt, but not fully understood.
Only when you became a mother yourself did you realize how much work, care, sacrifice, and love you received in those years, and for many years after.
...
April 2011
25 posts
7 tags
FARMERS MARKETS
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY PAT RICHARDS
Farmers Markets that provide wonderful, local, organic food to nourish our bodies and souls. My husband and I were just remarking tonight that we would not know golden beets existed without our local farmers market!
Farmers Market Facts: They connect urban people with locally grown, farm fresh produce, and give farmers the...
7 tags
A SISTER YOU WOULDN'T LET IN YOUR ROOM WHO GROWS...
When you look at the old photos now, those moments of childhood conflict melt away, and you remember the love and affection. But there were those moments, weren’t there?
YOU wouldn’t UNDERSTAND! FINE! See if I care! You’ll REGRET it, BELIEVE me! Get OUT of MY ROOM! I HATE YOU!
Yes, those were the golden years. You wouldn’t trade them for the world, though, because now...
5 tags
THE MUSE
SUBMITTED TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GRATITUDE BY YVONNE CANNON
The well runs dry. Your Muse is out to lunch. You think you’ll never write another word. Until, one shining hour, the Muse is back. Bringing life, as you knew it would. I write, I am. Thank you, Muse.
5 tags
A BROTHER WHO LEAVES YOU WITH PERMANENT SCARS, BUT...
With our brothers, we share an elemental and complex bond.
We are fused together with an alloy of admiration and competition, bouts of temporary hate, enduring love, and time.
Brothers may leave us with permanent scars. And, if we’re lucky, we’ll grow up to be the best of friends.
Even when we don’t have a brother, we find our spiritual brothers in the world—enduring...
4 tags
FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHO SUPPORT YOUR CRAZIEST...
Perhaps there is no greater proof of the loyalty and love of friends and family than when they back your craziest endeavors—even when it means making fools out of themselves.
You’d do the same for them, that’s the beauty of it.
Here’s a great example from the movie Little Miss Sunshine:
8 tags
COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Given how vitally important they are, it’s amazing how little gratitude (and money) we give to community colleges.
True or false: If you’re smart and poor in America, your chances of completing high school or going to college are much lower than the chances for children of the affluent with lower IQs and/or lesser abilities. Answer: True.
So where do the smart and poor go?
...
5 tags
THE ENCOMPASSING LOVE OF A GRANDPARENT
The love of a grandparent is something special. It is both more removed than the love we get from our parents, and closer to the source of love that echoes down from our ancestors. Our grandparents hug us, and their love can feel as expansive as the sky.
National Grandparents Day is celebrated with the giving of forget-me-not flowers. We can celebrate the holiday whether or not our grandparents...