Gratitude

We’ve had a lot of songs from the last decade or so on JSOD lately, so let’s jump back to November 11th 1975 when the album named for their single “Gratitude” came out from Earth, Wind & Fire. It was a double album with rock-funk songs from from various live performances. If you aren’t in the mood for words right now, please just scroll down to the song and treat yourself.

It’s the Sunday before Thanksgiving here in the US, and whether you celebrate with family or have a table full for “Friendsgiving,” or if maybe you’re working, waiting tables when everyone else seems to have the day off, it’s a healthy thing to take some time to not just think about what you’re thankful for, but to actually show that gratitude. To be honest, I feel like it’s just too easy to give nebulous thanks to the universe or god without actually having to do much self reflection. The older I get, the more I look for specific people I can personally thank for what they do, have done, or what they mean to me.

I know this feels like a Sunday sermon, but I’m not at all the religious type, especially not like I once was. I prefer the hands on, the everyday dirt and coffee of the world. So, how will I do this thanks thing. I have a grocery store trip to make, and I’m hoping they haven’t run out of cranberries, so that would be a good opportunity for me to take the checkout aisle with an actual person in it, instead of self serve. I’ll look them right in the eye and thank them for the hard work they do. I don’t think it’s in the cards this week, but if I do happen to get some food from the coffee shop or the pizza place, I can leave an extra big tip as a thanks.

Whatever stories we were told about pilgrims and the Wampanoag people, and whether that fits the images we saw in grade-school books, whatever we plan to do at our homes, or out to dinner this year, I just wish we’d thank each other more, look each other in the eye and express our gratitude for all the good people in our lives, and even the people we barely know yet, like that server presenting our plate, the cooks who prepared it, the kind people who love us or just put up with us.

Thanks for being here and sharing the music. Have a great week!