I write to see more clearly, to grasp what is, to know myself better, to impart what I experience. I am an elder, a wife, a mother and grandmother, a friend and colleague, a gardener, health enthusiast, clinical social worker and family therapist. After a forty-year career as a psychotherapist, I decided it was time for my story. At the age of 75, I enrolled in the Solstice Creative Writing Program at Pine Manor College, and received my MFA in 2009.
On my 82nd birthday, I began a gratitude journal and wrote daily for an entire year. Early on, I adopted the mantra, gratitude is as gratitude does—meaning that through the experience of seeking, noticing and embracing gratitude, one’s perception about a person, a situation or incident can shift in a positive way. After a year of writing about my quest for gratitude, I decided to start this blog to impart what I have learned, enrich my connections and expand my quest.
In the best of days, a sense of gratitude arrives, unbidden. But most days, I need to pause, to remind myself to slow down and consider—to scan and zoom-in as I cull my day for nuggets of gratitude. My hope is that aspects of my story, how I think about and pursue gratitude, might resonate and make a difference to others. Gratitude is a state of mind. Its pursuit requires attentiveness and mindful focus. With practice, a sense of gratitude can develop into a habit, create connections and increase well-being.
I look forward to the experience of posting and evolving this blog. I welcome feedback from all who wish to share in the experience of daily gratitude.
-Fayewriter