Gratitude

Too often in life, we forget to give thanks.  While we may offer up a quick word to our party hosts on our way out the door, or send a prayer up to God, thanking the big guy for some request we've made that he actually delivered on, how often do we show gratitude for the simple act of existing?Taught by her mother at an early age to write Thank You notes, Leah Dieterich does just that -- for everything.  With humor and affection, she is able to give thanks for things both big and small, positive and negative, in the most unexpected and thought-provoking ways.  Whether it is in thanking the days of the week, or finding praise for a 1983 Shalamar record, Leah manages to see the good, even in the thick of bad.On her blog thxthxthx, browse her notes and you'll quickly discover how she reaches past herself,maintaining perspective by focusing on the bigger picture.  In a thank you note to Melancholy, for example, Leah points out that she is most productive during such states, and "always ends up making something.  You're a better house-guest than sadness," she notes, "because you leave gifts."  Looking beyond her own emotions and insecurities, she allows herself to give thanks for such "negatives" as the breakup of a relationship, or her anger, or even for her period.Quick and easy reads, the brevity of space forces her to distill her thoughts to their essence, and her take on life is well-worth sharing.  And, to help you do just that,  200 of her notes havebeen released as a book, and having even more of Leah's Thank You notes to read is something we can all be grateful for...Brian Lane Green, singing John Bucchino's "Grateful": http://tinyurl.com/3pem6a6