Grateful

I can’t really wrap my head around October finishing up. But I’m enjoying the cool evenings and mornings, as my focus shifts to Thanksgiving. Each of us conducts our own personal inventory of what’s going on in our lives: who are the people, what are the things in my life that call for my expressing thanks? Honesty — Sukkot has always given off Thanksgiving vibes for me. People dining under the stars, catching up, laughing together, kids running around. And of course — our (thrice) daily prayers feature the paragraph beginning with מודים אנחנו לך (we thank You) which gets right to the heart of the matter: God gives us gifts each day, each moment. When we’re paying attention, we notice the everyday grace of being alive.

So here’s to the American packaging of gratitude. I pray that those gatherings are uplifting and restorative for each of us.