The light blue ski lift chair propels into the sky. Slow and deliberate. Green trees and the crisp cool white snow are highlighted by the glimmer of the sun. The spotlight is in on the empty ski lift chair. Today its meaning is not lost on me.

How do we fill that chair everyday? Are we sitting in the middle of abundance or are we complaining of the emptiness? Today we honor what colors our life with gratitude. But what if we did that everyday? How about practicing it so much that it leads to a sustaining peace? There is something everyday in our lives that allows the opportunity to step into the light of peace. Even in my darkest hour, the sadness has eventually led to some resolution, some peace. It really is, as clichéd as it sounds, our perception of what we are observing that determines the feeling of gratitude or the angst of emptiness.

Fill up that chair. With those who love and uplift you. Submerge yourself into the struggle. Practice gratitude when you are knee-deep difficult times. I’ve talked about the pendulum and how it swings, over and over again, and in that sway, we can find gratitude and peace.

Love to all of you on Thanksgiving 2012.