Let us be grateful!

 Each morning, when we wake up, the first words we traditionally say are:

מודה אני לפניך מלך חי וקיים שהחזרת בי נשמתי בחמלה רבה אמונתך

These are expressions of our daily gratitude toward the Eternal Source of Life, the Creator. Giving thanks is part of our life. Living each day full of joy for the blessing of life.

Around the world many nations, for one or another reason, have chosen a day to express their gratitude to the Almighty. In the USA this specific day is full of legends and speculations, since it is linked to the relation between the colonizers and the earlier nations, previous colonizers and settlers from hundreds of different nations (called today Native Americans in the USA and First Nations in Canada), who were living in these regions. Often stories of a quaisi romantic ideal times are told overlooking the bad and the good of the historical facts (we must never ignore and much less justify the wrong done to those nations). However, the national time of thanksgiving goes back to centuries before the English settlements to the time of the early Spanish communities in Texas, Florida etc. More importantly these traditions of thanksgiving go back to ancient times. The best sample are found in the Hebrew Bible, especially within the Books of Psalms.

When I faced moments of deep depression and anxiety, my wife read selections from these Psalms. Living with a grateful attitude makes a big difference in our lives. When I think of how blessed I have been regardless of the times of sorrow and pain, I am encouraged to live in a way that will also bless others. I could fill up a book or perhaps books on all the reasons to be grateful even in those moments of tears, when I was feeling hopeless and felt like giving up. So many times, the writers of the Psalms in similar or even worse situations list their troubles but conclude with words like these: I will still praise (or thank) the Lord.

Let us rise in the mornings with a heart full of praise and thankfulness for the breath of life. Praise the Almighty with our words and actions. Let us live lives that proclaim the mercies and love of the Lord. In a world so full of sorrow and pain, let us be instruments of grace. May we be instruments of peace and compassion. 

שלום וברכה לכולם בארץ ישראל ועל כל עם עזה