Dear Readers and Writers,
This is a post about gratitude. Yes, it’s Thanksgiving week and I have MANY papers to grade (I got down to 63 before the next group of papers came in, in case you’re wondering) but this is not the season of turkey and gravy.
Gratitude is a feeling the begins with words.
Here’s the skinny on gratitude that I learned the hard way — it grows. It is a very alive thing. It starts with small things (a smile, an appreciation) and continues with a thank you, and blossoms into changing worldview.
And as writers, writing enthusiasts, readers and everything in between, we must understand that words are gateways to gratitude. How they are put together, like bricks on a building, says everything about everything, which is to say that the lovely thing about writing is creating the world you inhabit.
I believe I learned this lesson at first in college. A friend invited me to go hear Salman Rushdie read from his latest book. This was in the late 90s/early 2000s. I didn’t know this man had a price on his head, a fatwa.
To purchase tickets we had to cross the steps of the Alley Theater. The protestors, at least 200 strong, yelled and screams. Friends, hatred feels like a punching wall. Without being touched, my friend and I were nearly knocked over. The words pushed and shoved us across the tall steps. We nearly fell over at one point.
The world at that moment lived and died by the words and chants coming from the base of the Alley Theater. Our existence, even the ability to stand up, was at the mercy of words.
In that moment, I felt the raw power of words to wound. But words also have the power to heal, to uplift. Have you ever given a stranger a compliment when they didn’t expect it? The way they light up and smile. The thank you afterwards is humble and, yes, grateful.
The same could be said for non-verbal words. In my healing journey I read, “I Want to Thank You: How a Year of Gratitude Can Bring Joy and Meaning in a Disconnected World” by Gina Hamaday. I wrote about it last year. During her year of gratitude, she sent out thank you cards to people who have helped her in some way. The year-long experiment opened up communication with people she hadn’t talked to or seen in awhile. It also lifted people up who were secretly down. This also changed her. Made her see the small moments of gratitude.
So, here’s what I’m grateful for. I am grateful for words, the magic of them. I am grateful to know the right combination of words for the right situtation. I am also grateful for not knowing the words and allowing silence to fill the space. I am grateful for the careful way I chose words — for their power, for their potential, for their rhythm. I am grateful for another year of courage to use the words I need.
Prompts!
I promised you some prompts in the headline for this post. I hope these are useful to you. Here are five:
Reflect on a Small Joy
Write about a small, seemingly insignificant moment that brought you joy recently. What made it special, and how can you hold onto that feeling?Gratitude Letter
Write a letter to someone who has impacted your life positively. Be specific about what they did and how it changed or supported you. (You don’t have to send it!)Nature’s Gifts
Describe a place in nature that makes you feel at peace. What about it fills you with gratitude? How do you feel when you're there?Challenges as Teachers
Think of a challenge or hardship you’ve faced. What did you learn from it? How can you find gratitude for the growth it brought?Your Creative Journey
Write about one thing in your writing or creative life that you’re grateful for—an idea, a mentor, a breakthrough, or even a failure that taught you something valuable.
Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your writing session!
Icess
“I am grateful for another year of courage to use the words I need. “ I will take this with me for another year. It’s beautiful.