Dear Friends,
Greetings of love and peace.
As Thanksgiving approaches in the U.S., I realize that I feel the call to live in gratitude more keenly with each passing year.
Many Indigenous friends around the world have taught me the importance of greeting the dawning of a new day with thanksgiving for the gift of life, for the beauty of the Earth and for the opportunity to live each day in ways that benefit the Earth community.
My dear friend, Rev. Masato Kawahatsu, a priest in the Konko Church, which grew out of the Shinto faith, taught me years ago of the importance of saying “Thank you.” In these difficult times, Mas challenged me, it is important to say “Thank you” a thousand times a day. Mas, I’m doing my best.
These and other teachings about thanksgiving from friends of many faiths have led me to cultivate a practice of gratitude that has changed my life. Being consciously grateful infuses even my most difficult moments with the light of blessing.
So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I give thanks for each of you, for who you are and all you do to bring peace, justice and healing into our world.
And I encourage you to enrich your lives with the gift of gratitude.
Faithfully,
Charles
