Gratitude Lights the Way

We pray because we have hope.

-The Miracle Collectors

For most of us, Thanksgiving 2020 will be different than any before in our lifetime. With travel curtailed and large gatherings discouraged, many of us will be missing the faces of those we love around our table. It seems like a year where gratitude will be hard-pressed to keep pace with the distress that many are feeling. This month, Katie makes the case for gratitude anyway -  in small miracles that grace all of our lives. Wherever you are this Thanksgiving, we are grateful for you!

Collecting Miracle Moments One Story at a Time.

Joan and Katie

I’m an optimist, a half-full kind of gal, living my life inside the cliché that there is indeed a light at the end of every tunnel. I’ve learned that no matter what happens, you have to keep on going. Through the death of a loved one, an emergency illness, mental health challenges, or very real worries about a loved one or the state of the world, we have no choice but to find our way back to the light. Otherwise, we forfeit our ability to live fully, to meet moments of beauty, friendship, and love with the intoxicating appreciation they deserve.

That half-full mindset has been tested this year, particularly as the many months have passed since seeing one of my children and two of my grandchildren, not to mention siblings and friends on the other side of the country. I know I am not alone, and that most of us have disappointments and challenges that have piled up.

The experience recalls the few times I ran an annual race in San Francisco called the Bay to Breakers, roughly 7.5 miles from the bay side of the city to the Pacific Ocean. Though it comes only a couple of miles into the race, there is a long incline, the Hayes Street hill, where you worry you might not have the reserves to finish the race. The uphill slog was not lost on the residents of Hayes Street who blasted “Running on Empty” (Jackson Browne) out of their apartment windows as 100,000 runners made their way up, at least that was the case back in the 80s, the last time I participated. As a recreational runner where anything over four miles was a rarity, that hill was daunting, though I was determined to finish, and did, gulping in the fresh, salty air on the other side, and reveling in the camaraderie and relief when it was over. Now, I hope and pray that the current race for our health and well-being ends the same way, and with a spotlight on our shared humanity. Perhaps, especially in times of uncertainty, it is helpful to be aware of miracles, big and small, that come to our attention or cross our path.

A month or so ago, walking with my husband in one of my favorite spots in Central Park, I was commenting on and pointing to how glorious the fall flowers looked, a little overgrown, full and wispy and colorful, when a man, who had clearly overheard me, asked if I was visiting for the first time. “Oh no,” I said, “I live here.” I realized in expressing my enthusiasm, he interpreted correctly that I had, at least momentarily, found my way to the light. In moments that sparkle, small diversions that keep us in the present, and focusing on what we have (and not what we don’t), this trifecta becomes a philosophy for well-being and a perfect prayer for Thanksgiving. (Katie)

As always, we welcome hearing your thoughts, comments, and especially your miracle stories on our blog page. Visit us and our new look on The Miracle Collectors website and share it with a friend. For musical inspiration check out The Miracle Collectors playlist on Spotify as well as our newly added Christmas playlist for the holidays.

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Sense of Wonder

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Generosity of Spirit Takes Flight