Tonight I’m grateful that I got to spend an hour in the garden this morning, pulling a few weeds, turning over a little cold, wet dirt, and planting some bulbs. I don’t feel able yet to get down on the ground so I planted them in raised beds and tubs, all protected from the deer who last spring demolished most of my tulips, even the little naturalizing tulips that they used to leave alone. I’m grateful for the opportunity the fine weather allowed. Some of the beds had chunks of frozen dirt in them, but mostly the soil was malleable, and the temperature went up to 62℉. If it hadn’t been for the stiff wind all day I might have spent more time outside, but I’m grateful I got two loads of laundry done and hung on the line.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to sleep in an adjustable bed for the past two months, and I was sad to see it go this afternoon. It’s been my resting place since surgery, and ever so comfortable compared to my sweet old recliner, which feels sooo low now that that’s the only place downstairs I have to stretch out. Now I get the opportunity to clean off my convalescent windowsill!

I’m grateful for the technology that provides the opportunity to learn from wise teachers around the world. I’ll be zooming into Upaya Zen Center throughout the weekend for a retreat called AWAKENED ACTION: Opening to All of Life, which features five powerful women: Roshi Joan Halifax, Terry Tempest Williams, Valerie Brown, Rebecca Solnit, and Christiana Figueres. I’m taking every opportunity now to strengthen and deepen my meditation practice and spiritual understanding in order to cope with the unfathomable election results, and build resilience for the work ahead. I’m grateful for Indivisible, and for all the other grassroots groups who are already gathering momentum; I’m grateful for the many women and men in government jobs who are already struggling to stand strong for truth and freedom.

I’m grateful for these gloriously colored flowers that I get to plant in my own little yard, anticipating some bright spots of beauty if I live til spring. I’m grateful to understand that anything can happen, any time, and it has always been this way. Today is no different than the November full moon a year ago, or ten years or twenty before that. I’ll be grateful to wake up alive tomorrow morning. Ongoing mindfulness practice creates the opportunity to open to radical acceptance of impermanence. It isn’t easy, but it really makes sense. And it makes each day, each aware breath, each tiny perfect moment of beauty, sweetness, kindness, connection, all that much more precious and meaningful.