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Jun, 2012
June Newsletter — Jun 8, 2012
Have you been pleasantly surprised lately? The very gift of life is a surprise. When we stay alert, we notice how astounding even the simplest sensation can be: tapping fingers on a keyboard. Sniffing the fragrance of lilacs. Savoring a fresh, juicy strawberry. Hearing a convocation of crows. Seeing the sun pierce through a coleus leaf on the windowsill.
This month’s Gratefulnews offers a smorgasbord of intriguing surprises – more than one hundred giants, a prom without boys, a 93-year-old yoga teacher:
www.gratefulness.org/gratefulnews/index.htm
And what happens when a surprise guest arrives at your bluegrass music festival? Look under “Links” in our “Angels and Animals” topic to find a new video showing how a touch of shock can turn into an ingenious burst of gratitude:
www.gratefulness.org/t/aanimals_links.htm
As we master the art of finding joy in pleasant surprises, we stretch into the realm of surprises that we don’t as readily welcome. Take, for instance, the sudden insight that everything we’ve worked hard to earn does not belong to us:
www.gratefulness.org/poetry/moment_atwood.htm
Those momentary revelations remind us that one thing we can count on in this life, if we want it, is chance after chance to burst out of the sterility of our own narrow way of perceiving things. What’s outside of that prison is heavenly.
Who in your life who has helped you become more truly yourself, providing you with a bridge from your immediate circumstances to a larger vision? If they’re still on this earth we invite you to send an e-card letting them know your gratitude:
www.gratefulness.org/ecards/index.cfm
You will notice that Father’s Day cards are now up under “New and Seasonal.” For those of us who have lost our fathers or mentors, Light a Candle provides a profound way to remember them:
www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?l=eng
A treasured surprise in the lives of those of us at Gratefulness.org is that so many of you can join us at our Pathways to Gratefulness summit in San Francisco on June 23rd!
pathways.gratefulness.org/
Thank you so much for making the effort to come amidst all that you hold together in your life. If you have not yet gotten tickets and are interested, please know that as of this writing there are still some seats available. And you can now join us from wherever you are in the world (for free!) through live-streaming:
live.soundstrue.com/celebrationgratitude/
You do so much for us and for our world. Every day our gratefulness for you gently shakes us awake and reminds us to give thanks always.
Yours in service,
Patricia and Margaret
for our Gratefulness Team