Wonderbringers Newsletter with Monica Parker
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Hello Wonderseekers!
For all Americans, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Despite its association with Black Friday, which I loathe, and its Native American origins, the treatment of whom is a shameful blight on American history, Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday without question.
Unlike Christmas, when people tend to cloister themselves away, Thanksgiving is always about making a bigger table to include everyone. Thanksgiving means family and friends. No pressure of gifts. No separation between religion or race or region. And everyone has their favourite traditions and dishes so it takes on a wholly personal and yet also universal feel. A shared point of introspective thankfulness in a very fractured nation.
One family tradition of ours (and my mom’s fave) is to go around the table and each share what we are grateful for that year. Here is a quick list of a few of mine.
long legs for long walks
hot water every day
a safe home
good eyes to see
the right to vote
long-haul flights
shared DNA of laughter between old friends
a warm bed
contact lenses
a full fridge
15 years with the love of my life
parents who are both healthy
the gift of an amazing education
landscape of clouds out a plane window
bodily autonomy
compound interest
two up-to-date passports
insatiable curiosity
nieces who make time for me (and seem to enjoy it!)
queso
Below is a short poem by Emily Dickinson on gratitude.
What are you grateful, for this year?
Some wonderbringers for me this week:
Gratitude really is good for you: Here’s what the science shows.
Gratitude enhances health and happiness and lengthens lives: Six questions can help you evoke the life-enhancing power of gratitude.
Listen: The Paris Review Podcast: Legendary novelist and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison explains why beauty is absolutely necessary.
A quote taken from Morrison’s interview above that is infused with a sense of gratitude:
“The startle and the wonder of being in this place. This overwhelming beauty—
some of it is natural, some of it is man-made, some of it is casual, some of it is a
mere glance—is an absolute necessity. I don’t think we can do without it any more
than we can do without dreams or oxygen.”
(Thanks to Wonderbringers reader Bindu for sharing this one with me!)
As I mentioned last week, I will be putting together a vision board session for January 2025. I am still debating if it will be live or on-demand, but if you are interested, shoot me a message so I can put you on the list for future info.
With wonder,
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