Gratitude. still possible.

 

                                                      A visit from Andrea and Gigi.

Post-truth*  (an up-dated version of Stephen Colbert’s truthiness, chosen the Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year in 2006) was chosen by Oxford Dictionary to be the Word of the Year for 2016 .  I guess 2006 and 2016 have a good bit in common — including tragically the expendability of truth. Yes, it’s been a difficult year, and the last 16 days have been, well, seriously bleak in their portending.

Still it’s Thanksgiving Day and that has most of us, including me, looking for something true (not a fabricated Hallmark-card-truthiness) we can still feel thankful for.  Despite fear.  Apart from anger. Frustration. Disappointment. Grief.

Gratitude.  Still.  And plenty of it. Here is my short list. Incomplete, but still worthy.

For people being courageous and writing truth.  So many writers. Hundreds, thousands to pick from.  My gratitude is undying. Today I’m choosing Charles M. Blow.  Because I’m so grateful for this truth-telling essay.

Gratitude.

For politicians who speak truth courageously and act in a truly moral way.  There are not enough in this category but there are a solid few.  Today I’m choosing Mayor Bill de Blasio for making this powerful speech.

Gratitude.

For the people taking a courageous stand to defend the water, Earth, and air, and people’s right to human dignity and respect, and to those who support them in many ways.  They are many engaged in these struggles around the world and many supporting them, and for this I am deeply grateful.  Today I’m choosing the water protectors at Standing Rock and the Vets who are self-deploying there to protect them.

Gratitude.

For tears of joy and justly acknowledged goodness in the world, there are a lot, but we don’t often get to hear about or see them.  So to represent all this goodness and acknowledgement, today I choose Ellen and President Obama.

Gratitude.

For the brave cultural workers — writers, documentary film makers, musicians, and people who create in every genre.  Who give us greater knowledge and understanding of the world and ourselves in it and inspire us to be better people.  Today I’m choosing Stevie Wonder and Sting.

Gratitude.

For the people in my personal life.  The people who know me, endure me, love me, inspire me, support me, help me laugh, hang with me.  I know I am lucky to know such wonderful people, to count you as my friends and family.  Without you my life truly wouldn’t be worth much.  Today, because  they are shining beacons of light in general, and because they have been this in my personal, almost daily, life during this particularly dark pre- and post-election season, I am choosing the fabulous mom-daughter duo — Andrea and Gigi.

And closing with gratitude to you, my sometimes known, often unknown readers who take a moment to stop by and connect, and express your own ideas and comments.  I SO appreciate you.  May we all find the courage, compassion, and actions-we-will-take to make this coming year one we can feel more gratitude for than the past one.

xo,

Gayle

* post-truth — ‘Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.’