On this post, I would like to express my gratitude to teachers. As Lama Marut says in this video, "everything of value that we have learned has been taught to us by someone else". Yes, our parents, friends and even enemies have taught us things, but I'm speaking now of those people who taught us in school or on the playing field.

For me this is a long list and in no particular order;

• History teachers - my favorite course in high school
• Science teachers - this includes physics, chemistry, and the electrical engineering course that were required for my Electrical Engineering degree 
• Math teachers - I enjoyed differential equations when essentially the professor said that differential equations are essentially unsolvable, so you just try things until something works. 
• English teachers - Going line-by-line through King Lear in High School was my first taste of getting down to the details.
• Russian language teachers - I had two that I remember very fondly, including an almost blind Mr. Hughes in high school
• I remember taking a home economics course in elementary school where I had fun learning how to measure ingredients and other things - that was fun.
• I learned how to speed read in elementary school from a special teacher
• My piano teacher in Italy Mrs. Fusco
• I had ballet teachers, soccer coaches, baseball coaches, wrestling coaches - thanks!
• I learned how to scuba dive from a young teacher ... less then half my age.
• I've learned how to take underwater photography from a number of teachers. 
• I've listened to many podcasts done by teachers, especially recently one on a course on astronomy, another one on genetics, another on philosophy
• I'm learning yoga now from a wonderful teacher. 

To all my teachers, I express my gratitude. THANKS!

- - - - - -

Quote of the day - The storms of my life are essential to my growth. Take Time to reflect upon how you have grown from the challenges you have overcome. 

Thank you to all wives and husbands.

On the last post, I thanked my wife of 32 years. On this post, I'd like to reflect and thank all of the husbands and wives that take care of each other (and themselves).

Married life can be rough, boring, and downright exasperating after the passion of new love and youth passes by. Creating a loving environment in which a relationship can continue is tough work. In taking care of each other couples set an example for others on how they should take care of each other as well. Some couples have children. The example they set towards each other is passed on to their children and others.

Keep calm, try not to fly off the handle with each other. Hug each other at least once per day.

Thanks to all wives and husbands!

Pithy comment of the day & reflection

The storms of my life are essential to my growth - Take time to reflect upon how you have grown from the challenges you have overcome.

The gratitude meditation I listened to today from The Mindful Movement Youtube channel.

Day 5 of Gratitude

Thanks to all Mothers and Fathers!

Today I'd like to thank my wife Lisa. She has been a godsend. Probably the best decision I ever made. We have been married for 32 years. We dated for a year before we got married, so I count 33 years.

Lisa carried both my sons, Andrew, and Austin through 18 months of pregnancy. The second one became a little risky as she was considered to be of advanced maternal age, 38. She has been a trooper. She had hip surgery 2 months after giving birth to my first son so that she could keep up with him. She breastfed both sons for at least nine months, pumping milk at work after she returned to work after 6 weeks or so off. Since then she has had 3 additional hip surgeries. She is always thinking of ways to make me and my sons happier.

She loves me unconditionally. She is my #1 advocate. She does not have any patience with anyone that might slight me or be unfriendly towards me. I love her very much!

Thanks, Lisa. You are the best thing that ever happened to me!

Thanks Mom and Dad!

So in thinking of my parents, I suggest that as we ponder gratitude we should all give gratitude to all parents. Parents right now are changing diapers, feeding children, working to support their children. Not all parents are perfect by any stretch of the imagination but I have to imagine that the vast majority are doing the best that the can. I suppose this is why we have a Mother's Day and a Father's Day.

So, thanks to all Mothers and Fathers!

As a side note, in Tibetan Buddhism, we have all lived countless lives. Because of rebirth, karma (action and intention) and our inability to achieve liberation, we have been all sorts of animals (dogs, cats), in the hell realms, gods, people and mothers and fathers etc. So from this point of view, every sentient being around you has been your mother in one of your past lives. So we should love and respect everyone like we might a mother: I'd say an idealized mother.

1. Checkout this lecture by Thubten Chodron, entitled "All beings have been our mother". 
2. Another wonderful article and video on this topic can be found here. 

Day 3 of Gratitude

Thanks Mom!

After my Mom, of course, I need to thank my Dad. For the first 13 years of my life, this can be an easy task. During high school, my Dad became more distant. After I started college many issues arose between my dad and mom which further strained our relationship, until a breach occurred when I was in my early twenties. My father died of colon cancer at the age of 50 in 1983. How I wish things had been different.

My father of course help raise me, provided for me, read me books, carried me around on his shoulders, help instill a love of cars in me, a love of learning. He loved to play the piano and I learned to love music of all sorts through him. He actively dissuaded me from becoming a doctor, not that I would have been capable. (maybe?) He came to some of my Little League baseball games and loved to watch my ballet performances. He got me excited about going to Culver Military Academy at a really young age. My attendance there gave me the discipline which has carried me through my entire life.

My father was very intelligent. Later in his life, he was troubled. But early on, he was my role model. Thanks, Dad for all that you did! I love you! (and loved you).

Day Two of my gratitude log.

Before getting too far down the path on this log, I need to express my gratitude to my mother. She is the one who carried me for nine months. She is the one that gave birth to me. She breastfed me, nurtured me, carried me, changed my diaper, and took care of me for the first year of my life. After that, she did the lions share of my care after my father re-entered my life having spent most of the first year on a ship, on duty with the US Navy as a doctor. I have tried to tell her of my gratitude for her many times and I feel like it can never be enough. Thanks, Mom! I love you! (I'll tell her again real soon)

Doing a gratitude practice has benefits for you as this article suggests. In brief, it says that

1. "Gratitude unshackles us from toxic emotions." When we are expressing gratitude we are thinking positive thoughts. So keep the gratitude positive. 
2. "Gratitude helps even if you don't share it" - hence this blog, even though as often as possible I will try to tell people - Thank you!
3. "Gratitude's benefits take time" - Which is why I'll try to keep writing this blog. One needs to exercise patience. Patience, another attribute that can help with mindfulness, which helps with happiness.
4. "Gratitude has lasting effects on the brain." - I hope so.

As with many attempts in the past, I'll try to maintain a daily log.

This time, I'm going to try to spend five minutes a day, giving gratitude. I'll prioritize my gratitude thinking by the following ranking that I may update.

1.  I will try to think of someone that impacted me today. 
2. I'll thank people who helped me recently. 
3. People that helped me further into the past.
4. Public figure that impacted my thinking and who I'd like to acknowledge. 
5. Thanking classes of people who I don't know, yet have impacted me by the work they do; nurses, farmers, etc. 

I have heard of the idea of maintain a gratitude log more than once. This time, my energy is coming from a five-day silent retreat that I just completed. For this reason, today I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Sharon Theroux, who co-facilitated the retreat. She has a page on Psychology Today here. She is the founder of the South Florida Center for Mindfulness.