A heavily edited manuscript by John Dickinson, known as "Penman of the Revolution."
Oh, hello, it's Thankful Thursday. Again, already. Please join me in a weekly pause to appreciate life — from the petty to the profound.

On this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for:

1.
The first clutch of daffodils

2.
Strong coffee & real conversation

3.
Soothing classical music that plays while I'm on (terminal) hold with the insurance company

4.
Skiing under a bluebird sky

5.
Brave, a lipstick, and a critical tool in the fake-it-til-you-make-it approach to life

6.
An editor who returns my work with pages of red-ink revisions

7.
Online shopping, and the miracle of purchased items actually fitting

8.
Pisces. Perceptive, creative, sensitive. Thankful I have so many good Fish in my life.

9.
This practice of pausing for gratitude. At my most resistant, when I'm gloomy and frayed with the effort it takes to find a thread of thanks, it really is true that when I sit down and focus, gratitude gains speed and power. Inevitably, I find myself genuinely thankful.