Thomas Hawk photo

Never wear white shoes.

Never arrive at a party without flowers, wine, a token gift.

Never say, you look great for your age.

Never get to Thursday without a bit of thanks.

But here I am, empty-handed.

It's not that I've had a bad week. Or that I'm a self-absorbed ingrate (admittedly, I'm working on this) badgering the waiter: what, only one dessert? I want more!

It's that today my gratitude feels both too small (the brilliance of chopsticks) and too large (to love and be loved). I don't want to share my insipid observations (sun shines after many damp days), or accomplishments that made my head and heart swell, if just for a bit.

This week, I'm looking to you. Make this space yours. Name it, claim it, big or small, tender or tacky, tell me, what are you thankful for today?

It's Thankful Thursday, a weekly pause to appreciate people, places, things (and poems). Joy contracts and expands in proportion to our gratitude. What makes your world expand?