Thanksgiving

Whatever the origin of Thanksgiving, I believe that it is good to give thanks, to remind ourselves of all the good fortune we have in our lives currently and that which we have had in the past. While few people are completely satisfied with where they are in their pursuits for this life, be it career, love, friendship, family, and other goals we are striving toward, we all have something to be thankful for.

Appreciation—not once a year but on a daily basis—of what we do have is not only appropriate and helpful for our disposition, it also affirms that we have achieved, by our own standards, and can do so again if we so choose and try. Goals may, in fact will and should, change over time and I think it is beneficial to recognize this fluidity as growth in our being, however we opt to measure this.

Nothing ever remains the same, nor do we, so it is imperative to recognize the greatness of the current moment and situation. Greater things will grow from today, if we open ourselves up to all the possibilities, consciously and subconsciously, and the more we understand and appreciate where we are now, the better we will be able to receive tomorrow.

As I went for a morning run with Luka around the local trails, I thought all of the things I have to be thankful for. There are too many, and some too personal, to mention.

Being healthy and able to enjoy the beautiful Squamish trails with a happy, inquisitive and loyal friend on four feet, while another one on two feet is at home, feeling my lungs expand and contract, inhaling and exhaling the chilly air on a sunny autumn morning, while my eyes gorge on the colours of the Indian Summer are among my good fortune.

As I released my first volume of poetry for publication today, somewhat scared about baring words I didn’t intend to when I wrote them, I think of the C Day-Lewis quote I used to start my collection of poems Sunshine on a wooden floor, “We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand”, and know that that is a primary reason for me to write, but also a fundamental driver to run.

Much of life suddenly makes sense when I am in motion, moving along at a speed of between 10 and 16 kilometres per hour, depending on the terrain and my goals to cover it. Among the many blessings in my life, the discovery of running is one I am truly grateful for.