I've been feeling the need to write a "Thanksgiving" message, and then something in me slammed on the brakes. Holidays often bring a swarm of conflicting emotions and thoughts, and many people may not experience this day as one to celebrate.

So in taking my time to craft this email, I've been asking myself what "Thanks-giving" means at this time. I qualify it with "at this time" because I believe that notion can evolve during a person's life, from generation to generation, and even from day to day.

What I landed on is a minor adjustment in how we look at "the day." Rather than giving thanks, consider: Thankfulness.

How does that land for you?

For me, thankfulness feels like a condition, a state of being, rather than a verb. And in pulling apart the word, I love the idea of being full of thanks. When I feel that fullness, appreciation for others flows naturally.

I believe that as we become aware of what we're thankful for, that gratitude begins to glow inside us. In contemplating the people and things I'm thankful for, I feel it kindle something in myself—as if the effort to identify my gratitudes ignites my own embers.

Imagine if we all were able to find our glow. What would life look like?

With love and thanks, Suzanne