Now that we get our food from Fred Meyer, Rosauer's, or Walmart, we often forget that many people were involved in bringing our food to the table. So take a little time this Thanksgiving to send a quiet "thank you" to them and to anyone else who's done something special for you lately.

Most days, I let one thing or another distract me from the bountiful reasons I have to be thankful. But I do, on occasion, reflect deeply on the tensions between striving and cherishing. And when those reflections take me over, they often engender a poem.

As we approach Thanksgiving, in a post-election, post-hurricane time when our feelings probably outweigh our ability to express them, I thought it might be helpful to explore some ways to say thanks and experience feeling grateful.

This November I am thankful for unexpected inconveniences. They force me out of my comfort zone and provide opportunities to examine things from different angles.

Yes. We all have the right to a rough day. An occasional pity party is A-OK in the world of being human. But losing sight of all that we have, forgetting how incredibly blessed and lucky we are, that's not okay with me.

Show gratitude to the people in your life that helped you make it through hard times. Show gratitude when you use something you learned. Show gratitude where you live. This attitude of gratitude can help us help each other, but more importantly, it will help you help yourself.

I believe in helping others help themselves, and I know that in doing so, we improve our own lives as well. Both the real mission and mystery in life is revealed through service.

There can't be too much gratitude. Why? Because, consciousness aligns with itself. Gratitude is a very high state of consciousness. It vibrates right up there with love.

Have you ever heard the saying, "When one door closes, another door opens"? I don't feel another door opens on its own; gratitude is the force that opens doors.

We are governed by questions like, "What can this person do for me? What can I get out of this situation?" At the root of being me-oriented is a mental orientation of the cup being half-empty.

When the world weighs heavy on your shoulders, the government turns its back on you and the facts of life look so hard and cold you can feel them in your gut, I suggest you take some time out to practice the gratitude game.

Asking "What is gratitude?" is not that different from asking "What is love?" It's a deceptively simple question, and hard to put into words.

Someone had asked the question, "What's the source of miracles?" A deep discussion followed and they reached a profound conclusion. The source of miracles is gratitude.

Gratitude releases dopamine and serotonin into our bodies, and makes us feel good.