Creating Gratitude

It's November 1st of a very different kind of year. For many, November is the month of gratitude. In a time where it's hard to navigate so much chaos, I'm acutely aware of all the things for which to be grateful... grateful in the way of knowing that it could all be taken away so easily. I see so much loss around the world for those who were in my same position a moment ago; the loss of a loved one to this pandemic or any other tragedy, the loss of income, the loss of health, the loss of a home to fire, or hurricane, or a tree falling through the roof. There's a difference in the gratitude I've felt in the past and the gratitude of impending impermanence. The latter holds a graciousness that flows much deeper and searches wider for all the little things that might have been overlooked before. One of the things I keep coming back to is gratitude for creativity. We have been forced into finding creative ways to continue to work, do school, celebrate holidays, gather safely, travel, shop, teach, parent, and every other aspect of life. It's as if we are inside a snow globe that is being shaken and we're floating around trying to find our ground. But, maybe if we don't fight it so hard, we can enjoy the floating? I like to float and watch the clouds above me. What if, in this world that has become so fast paced and full of instant gratification, we can learn patience? The patience of floating until the shaking stops and we rest back into our new places. What if, we accept that we don't know how long it's going to take, and live, as so many teachings tell us, in the moment, in the best way that we can? What if we have patience? What if we have gratitude? What if we tap into our creativity and experience this time from a place of patience, unknowing, and gratitude? What if?