I hope this letter finds you well a bit into the new year of 2022!

I had the privilege to travel to my home country Sweden for a few weeks in December. It had been a whole year since I was there, and it was wonderful to see my family and some of my dear friends during my visit.

I can’t help but being grateful that I got to experience this pandemic in a time when our technique makes it possible to still connect with one another! Because I still feel connected to many without us meeting in person. And of course, then actually meeting and being able to give, and to get, that warm hug I’ve been longing for, felt like something melted and healed inside.

And it brings me to the subject of gratitude. For many years I’ve been practicing gratitude in my day-to-day life, which for me has meant before falling asleep, thinking about a few things that I feel grateful for with this day. During these past 2 years with an ongoing pandemic, I must admit it hasn’t always been easy. One thing I’ve noticed, is that when I searched for something to be grateful for, the closer to the small day-to-day things I stayed with, the easier it was to find these things I was grateful for. Like, appreciating how the sun lights up our kitchen in a most magical way in the mornings, or how living in a small village where I can get everything I need from our well provided grocery store, has made me sometimes even forget that we have been in several look downs. Appreciating that I took the time to make that phone call or reflecting over a meaningful conversation with another human being during a walk with the dog..

So, highlighting the small things happening in a day as appreciation or gratitude, shifts something inside of you, I promise. That of course doesn’t prevent the mind to sometimes sail off somewhere in the future and create a worry about something, but I’ve noticed that with this practice the worries seem to be less intense.

Only a few days ago the, the Vietnamese zen master, buddhist monk, peace activist and author Thich Nhat Hahn passed away at the age of 95. He’s been influencing a whole world with his wisdom and contribution to a mindful living. In honor of his passing, I’d like to quote him and at the same time invite you to stay curious about the small things in your life that gives you joy, meaningfulness and a sense of gratitude.

“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence.
When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers”
 

With gratitude,
Helena