Hello friends. So happy you are here.

We are still here, together.

And I don’t know about you, but I deeply need this “Drawing Gratitude” series we’re in the middle of. With daily reminders of an incoming tidal wave, taking a creative deep breath to pause, reflect, look closely and literally draw some gratitude from/for the world around us is the best way I know to fill our tanks. We are literally building our muscles for the future.

And lucky for us, Thanksgiving in the United States offers us a perfect opportunity to practice gratitude - not to mention patience and grace (and leaving the room when we need to!) Existing challenges within families may be heightened this year. I’m sure a lot of us will experience some triggering from “that person” at the table. (Remember, “that person” is likely us for others!) If/when our blood begins to boil, try to pause, drop into your bodies, take a deep breath, and remember how you feel when you draw - freely and boldly - without concern for other’s opinion or cares. Not when you are being the “best” you, but the “Most” you. Hold onto that feeling. Drawing is a practice - and not just on paper. It’s for life. These are the moments we've been practicing for.

(Y’all realize I’m actually pep-talking myself here, right? YOU CAN DO IT.)

**Alright, let’s keep the drawing gratitude practice going.**

One of my micro gratitudes from last week!

Last week, we reflected on “micro gratitudes” - all the so-small-we-forget-about-them things that deserve our gratitude. I drew a tribute to most essential object these days: my reading glasses, and the small but pwerful reciprocal gift of flowers (above.) There were SO MANY wonderful micro-gratitude drawings in the chat. Check them out and share yours if you haven’t already.

This week, we’re putting away the microscope and bringing out the telescope. We’re moving from micro-gratitude to macro-gratitude. It’s all about perspective.