Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Advent 3 - Gratitude


Some of my online friends have been blogging gratitude (my apologies for the lack of links ~ I left my power cord at home, my own computer is dead, and so I am functioning sans favorites) and I've decided to join them for a day of Advent reflecting on my gratitude for the Chautauqua Institution:

~ my husband and I met there, and

~ my children spent maybe 20 summer vacations there (I have a photo of the not-quite-year-old Lovely Daughter "listening" to Gloria Steinem there), and

~ when I was between churches and casting about for spiritual grounding, I found it there, thanks in no small measure to preachers like Joan Chittister and Barbara Brown Taylor and Karen Armstrong, all of whom have become part of my conversation of faith, and to teachers and friends whose names would not be recognized, but who have shared parts of themselves and their journeys in the context of walks along the lake, classes lit by afternoon sunlight, and conversations at the Children's Beach.

So: bleak midwinter gratitude for summer days and nights.

4 comments:

Lori said...

I am sadly bereft of gratitude this holiday season. I am grumpy and angry and tired and whiney and more tired and not at all hungry.

Therefore, I am grateful that you and others are doing this. I'll think of it as my dyspeptic meds so that I may turn Christmas Spit back into Christmas Spirit.

Terri said...

Oh my..what a cast of offerings there, Joan, and Barbara, and Gloria, and Karen! WOW....

and of course meeting your husband. May there be many more blessings....

Anonymous said...

Joan Chittister is amazing. She was on the NPR program "Speaking of Faith" recently. I listened to the program several times.

Someday, I hope to meet you in there. Chautauqua has always intrigued me as I listened to NPR broadcasts of lectures from their summer program. The way you write about it makes it a must.

Anonymous said...

P.S.
I am grateful for the light that Advent and Christmas bring into our lives during this dark time of year.

I am also grateful for the foot of snow that fell in the last several days. My holiday spirit and rejoicing is sky high.