After two weeks of sending smaller, shorter cards of thanks rather than the long-form letters I had been sending this year, I've noticed the ways in which these gestures are different. For one, the cards feel much more spontaneous. It allows me to recognize the moments of gratitude I feel for others throughout my day, as if I'm keeping a kind of written record of all the goodness I experience from others. It's also a great practice to begin or end the day, like a kind of prayer. An ancient form of prayer called "Praying the Examen" encourages this kind of reflection. In the prayer, you look back on the last 24 hours as if it were a movie, noting all of the moments where God was present. These cards are kind of like that. It's an opportunity to remember small blessings, and to affirm that goodness in others.
The other thing I noticed is that paying attention to gratitude in the small, mundane moments of my life forces me to turn away from the harried, worried, reflexive, grumpypants thoughts that may have been spinning around in my brain. I'm a pretty positive person, but, particularly when I'm stressed, my thoughts can spiral down into doubt, impatience, and negativity. When I notice those everyday moments at times that I'm feeling grateful, a candle lights inside me and those shadowy places don't have as much power as they did moments ago.
Next week I'll return to my longer letters, since that is what I set out to do. But I'll try and continue sending small gestures of thanks, to help keep alight those everyday moments.
