Perhaps you’re like me and sometimes forget to be grateful for things in life. It’s too easy to focus and dwell on the things that are wrong in this world and in our personal lives. I tried keeping a gratitude journal and would forget to write in it. My middle child, Roman, gave me a gratitude jar he made with popsicle sticks inside to write on. The idea was that when you needed a reminder, you would pull out a stick to read about something you’re grateful for in life. I have totally failed in using this too. Maybe I will give this one other try.

Recognizing the little things here and there along the way seems to be the best strategy for me. On my morning walk with our dog I always see or hear something new that I appreciate, such as the footprints of a small bird in the now-dry cement of the sidewalk. I wonder if the bird’s feet were okay when that happened – did the cement come off? Did the bird look at the prints in wonder and awe?

My camera on my cell phone is full of pictures to capture these moments – when the sun glints through the colorful leaves in the fall or the moon rising behind the Burr Oaks in my yard. I am just realizing as I write this that this is my gratitude journal. I’m going to make an album for these photos as a way to go back to them and remember the joy of those moments.

When my kids were younger, I would find simple crafts to honor the meaning of gratitude at this time of the year. Cutting turkey feathers out of construction paper and writing what we were thankful for on them was an easy project. Sharing around the dinner table was even easier, although not as decorative. And being a tree-loving person, a gratitude tree was one of my favorites.

Here at UCE, I am most appreciative of the support that has come from so many of you. The staff, the Family Ministry Team, the Adult Faith Formation Team, the Lifespan Faith Formation Council, the Board, and so many individuals who have shown their gratitude for my efforts these past three years. We are all blessed to be a part of this community.

In Faith,

Kathy

Melanie DeMore is a singer/composer, choral conductor, music director, and vocal activist who believes in the power of voices raised together. In her presentations, DeMore beautifully brings her participants together through her music and commentary. DeMore facilitates vocal and stick-pounding workshops for professional choirs, and community groups as well as directing numerous choral organizations across the U.S, Canada, and beyond. She is a featured presenter of SpeakOut!-The Institute for Social and Cultural Change, the Master Teaching Artist for Music at UC Berkeley/ CalPerformances; works with everyone from Baptists to Buddhists, and was a founding member of the Grammy-nominated ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir. She became Music Director for Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks as part of the Luminato Festival in 2019. She is a charter member of Kate Munger’s Threshold Choirs and conducts song circles with an emphasis on the voice as a vessel for healing. In her own words: “A song can hold you up when there seems to be no ground beneath you”.”