Gratitude

A lot has been written about the practice of gratitude, so much so that it seems barely necessary to say anything about it.

Basically, gratitude (when authentic), turns a downward-pulling, weighting, leadening, condensing spiral into a movement of energy at the heart that goes the other way. An opening, loosening, and widening that feels more like feathers, bubbles, light, opening roses.

Because of the impact of gratitude, I have explored it in a variety of ways, mainly poems and long lists and rhapsodic verbalizations and also long periods of not forcing myself to be grateful (when I had taken it a bit far), but my favorite of all explorations of gratitude is from a long time ago, when I wrote this song about a great summer I had living in Oakland, CA, when I was 25.

My invitation to you: make a gratitude list in art as a way of amplifying gratitude.

I had kids depend on me. I had time to make my tea. I had three-day weekends free. I had new technology.

I had walks around the lake. I had room to make mistakes. I had cause to laugh out loud. I felt lonely in a crowd.

I cooked flowers on the stove. I cut holes in all my clothes. I took two long baths a week. Felt your breathing on my cheek.

Thank you!

I found giant spools of thread. I remembered to make my bed. I took color photographs. I videotaped your laugh.

I learned how to make xerox transfers. I wrote you letters and you answered. I had dinner with my brother. Wrote a song and wrote another.

Thank you!

(Recorded by Jamie Fordyce in Big Sur with the Interludes. Jamie on banjo & vocals, Sami Jo on piano & vocals, Ken on violin & vocals, Jamie recording mixing mastering etc. Thanks guys)

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Thumbnail image lovingly appropriated from Wild Swans, by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by Naomi Lewis, and illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert