Well, here it is, a week after Thanksgiving. Maybe by now we’ve had the time and space to give thought to giving thanks.

It’s not necessary to give thanks TO somebody, such as God as we may conceive our source. It’s enough to simply feel grateful in our hearts. If you are like me, you have left duality behind, and you see our source as part of ourselves. To me, it’s all one web.

I guess it’s because the headlines are so dire these days that the first thing that comes to my mind to be grateful for is our security. So many people live in abject insecurity. The refugees are utterly homeless and rendered rootless for the foreseeable future. Migrants are left stuck at a foreign border and made to feel unwelcome and of little value. A lot of people live in a land where a knock at the door can mean the end of all that they hold dear, maybe for the rest of their lives. A loved one can be dragged off and never be heard from again. Little children find themselves the victims of human trafficking. Young women and probably some young men are sold off as sex slaves.

The next thing that comes to mind is our freedoms. I suppose I am cherishing them more now that they are under threat from the corrupt segment of the Republican Party. How I take for granted the simple freedom to say what I think, even to the most powerful people in the government, and fear no reprisal. Then there’s the freedom of assembly, which some Republicans are chipping away at, by suggesting penalties for everyone in a protest if even one person is destructive. All of these energizing protests, such as millions of women marching for the right to their own bodies or for equality with men, would be outlawed in many nations. I am grateful, too, for the freedom to petition for redress of grievance, whereby even the most humble person can take their case all the way to the Supreme Court. I’ve never had to use it, but it’s reassuring just to know it’s there.

Okay, I’ll give a nod to the Republican Party. They do uphold in our land the admirable principle of self reliance. In practice, I find that’s the foundation I try to live by for the economic aspect of my life. My votes, though, go to the party that cares more for the marginalized. It strikes me as a more loving approach, in line with my larger values.

There is someone on our planet that just inspires and overwhelms me with gratitude and admiration — that person is Greta Thunberg. I just signed a petition to nominate her for the Nobel Peace Prize. To think she’s 18 years old and has become a household name, and it all began by striking from school and sitting down on the sidewalk. It’s an incredible story.

Now, this is going to embarrass my wife, Linda. I keep a gratitude journal where I list every morning five things that I am grateful for. I always lead with these words, “My precious wife, Linda.” The many of you who knew her when she was all about SAIL will have no trouble knowing what I mean.

Well, I could go on. I am grateful for all of you who read my words and hopefully find some value in them. You give me an outlet for self expression! Happy holidays to all of you.

Bill O’Brien is a consciousness coach and shamanic practitioner. He and his wife Linda lived in Shepherdstown from 2005-2021, before relocating near family in Blue Bell, Pa. He can be reached at billobrienconsciousnesscoach@gmail.com.