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Shannyn Moore: Alaskans have plenty, and thus plenty of reason to give thanks

Did you ever hear about gratuity journals? They were part of a movement, somewhat Oprah-inspired, more than a decade ago. The idea was that if you consciously looked for the blessings in your life you'd stop gathering evidence that the universe was against you and maybe you'd stop feeling sorry for yourself.

For the last year, I've watched my Facebook "friends" participate in their "30 days of grateful." Yes, it's Facebook, so I also had to see what band they would be and the last thing they ate, but it wasn't all bad. In fact, it inspired me. One friend wrote: "Day 27: I'm grateful for chemotherapy and that I have a chance to see my next grandchild born." Hard to argue with that one. Instead of dwelling on the misery of chemo, it was all about hope for the next generation. "Day 17: Thankful that I had 19 years with my son. I miss him everyday and am so glad I am his father."

I think this exercise works. People find something to hold on to out of tragedy because they chose to find proof in their own lives -- that life really is beautiful.

Almost 1,000 years ago, Meister Eckhart said, "If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough."

I'm thinking Black Friday wasn't quite in full swing yet.

Why are we in such a hurry to pack up Thanksgiving before we've run out of leftover green bean casserole or gotten over the sting of a losing football game?

I can only think of one family I've known who takes their Christmas tree down on Christmas Day. They were a fun family who torched the tree in the yard -- even an artificial tree one year, as I recall -- as a ritual to mark the end of the holiday. Most of us leave up the candles, wreaths and trees for at least a week. We make it through New Year's and then, well, it's time to pack up that stuff and wonder what the next year will bring.

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For all the nonsense about a "war on Christmas," it seems to me that commercialized Christmas has declared war on Thanksgiving. We instantly trade our "thankfulness" for "what I just gotta buy." Maybe we need a Thanksgiving tree, or stockings we put up on Thanksgiving Eve that we can wake up to find stuffed with a year's worth of thank yous. Oh, and then we could resolve to notice our blessings every day and hope that gets more use than the gym memberships we buy in January.

I heard a sermon once that melded the definitions of grace and mercy with the power of gratitude. To be thankful for grace -- the good things bestowed on you through no effort of your own. And for mercy -- the good fortune not to be burdened with punishment or harsh consequences for the poor choices you made.

For those two things I'm grateful every day.

This week I've watched the national immigration debate and realize I won the ovarian lottery in being born to my parents in Homer, Alaska. I didn't earn that. Being thankful for such a good start in life only makes me more sympathetic to those not so lucky. Being born into poverty and conflict isn't a "lifestyle choice," it's just the randomness of life. We all would do well to remember that being born American is not something we earned.

This past week I crossed Kachemak Bay and found myself in a super-pod of 40 or 50 killer whales. The giant flukes of the bulls broke the surface like breaching submarines. Huge puffs of mist blasted into the air as the sun came up over the mountains. As the orcas swam around and under the boat, we cut the engines and reveled in the wonder of it. The calves -- little black-and-white cigars -- puffed along with their mothers. Eventually they headed west and we motored into the passage.

How do you say thanks for that kind of magic? We Alaskans are privileged to enjoy more such moments than most of our countrymen. They remind us that if the natural world has a cathedral, surely we're in it. Maybe that sense of awe is why I've always liked the Eckhart quote.

This year I'm going to try to hold on to Thanksgiving as long as I can. As Cicero put it, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others."

Shannyn Moore is a radio broadcaster.

The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, e-mail commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com

Shannyn Moore

Shannyn Moore is a radio broadcaster. You can hear her show, "The Last Word," Monday through Friday 4-6 p.m. on KOAN 95.5 FM and 1080 AM and 1480 We Act Radio in Washington, D.C., and on Netroots Radio.The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, e-mail commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.

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