A Short Thanksgiving Reflection
I often think of how an object, person, or event I care about happened to be in my life at this moment in time.
It always amazes me when I trace the threads back through the series of events that brought the object, person or event into my life. And I always feel gratitude for each step along the way!
Melissa Kirsch wrote an article that appeared in “The Morning” Newsletter of the New York Times on October 25, 2025, in which she describes this type of practice. She started with an item she had—and liked—and traced it back through its threads, feeling gratitude for each one along the way.
Her article inspired me to think of this exercise as a good annual Thanksgiving activity.
Applying it to my own life, I tried the practice this way:
I begin by thinking of my husband Bruno, the joy of my life, who passed in May 2019 (and whose birthday was just last Sunday, November 16th). I think about how grateful I am to have had him in my life.
Then I think of Mary who was a friend of my parents and of our family, and how she called one summer day in 1962 to offer me an internship, when I was a very disappointed college student who had lost my after-school/summer job because of a conflict of my German class with the publisher H.W. Wilson Company’s work hours.
Mary was allowed to take the summer off by the small Swedish company she worked for because she was a mother with two young children. However, Mary would not have made that call had not her summer replacement suddenly quit and the company president Frank needed someone two start immediately.
And I was available to take the job at that exact moment only because of another roadblock. At age 18, I was taking my very first driving lessons. I had been told by all the employers whom I had previously approached that the driving lessons precluded my starting any summer job until they were done.
Frank, however, willingly brought me into the family-like atmosphere of the Swedish company, allowing me to continue my driving lessons in the early morning and accommodating me with a later start of my work day.
The company where Mary worked, Malcus Tools Corporation, was also the company where Bruno had recently started working. The moment I entered the office on my first day, I saw Bruno at his desk, a 24-year old Swede who had recently moved from his hometown in Gothenburg, Sweden to New York City via a short detour in Boston. We locked eyes and both of us immediately felt sparks fly!
And then I think about my grandmother Rose and the words she had spoken to me at the very beginning when I had to quit my part time job at Wilson’s because of my college German class.
Grandma Rose said at the time:
“God never closes a door without opening a window!”
I have nothing but gratitude for this story in my life!
Melissa’s gratitude process is a little bit different.
So, take a look…
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/briefing/personal-history.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
(Note: Although the New York Times has granted us permission to include the URL link to Melissa’s article, a NYT subscription is needed to read it in full.)
I think this “following-the-threads” practice is a beautiful idea! Why not try it now—by looking at your life and focusing on one thing, event, or person that makes you smile—or gives you great joy?
Then go back, step by step and trace the threads of events that brought that object, person, or event into your life today.
And you might find yourself in blissful gratitude!
IN YOUR OWN WORDS:
Previous Post: “ANIMALS AND INSECTS—WHAT CAN THEIR FEMALE LEADERS TELL US?”
Written by Anne Andersson, November 7, 2025
—Really well done! Great research! Interesting to read! ❤️ —MA
—Loved this weeks’ article. We always knew women make a better leader! They put their family first, whether it’s looking for food & water or keeping them out of danger. —Barbara
—Thank you. The pictures are a wonderful source to mediate what has been written. —RE
BELIEVE THE WOMEN.
REMEMBER THE SURVIVORS.
FOR THOSE SPEAKING OUT:
WE OFFER GRATITUDE
THEY ARE OUR ADVOCATES.
ADVOCATES FOR ALL WOMEN—AND THE MEN WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE WOMEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES.
~~~~~~
And they succeeded!
Due in large part to the relentless advocacy of the survivors (and perhaps even urging by some C:WED readers and subscribers), on Tuesday November 18th, the House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act with a vote of 427 to 1. Within minutes of the House vote, the Senate unanimously passed the bill. On the following day, the President signed the bill into law.
Now we wait, as loopholes and exceptions remain.
~~~~~
WE CAN HONOR THE MEMORY OF VIRGINIA GIUFFRE BY READING HER POSTHUMOUS MEMOIR:
Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice
(Published October 21, 2025 by Knopf).
Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s courageous fight against Epstein trafficking—whose decision to speak out helped send both serial abusers to prison.
Virginia died by suicide earlier this year.
BOOK REVIEW:
“Make no mistake: this is a book about power, corruption, industrial-scale sex abuse and the way in which institutions sided with the perpetrator over his victims. . . . But it is also a book about how a young woman becomes a hero. . . . Important [and] courageous.” —The Guardian
WHY FEEL GRATITUDE?
VIRGINIA RAISES ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE PAID MUCH BETTER ATTENTION:
A PRACTICE OF ASSAULT THAT IS WORLDWIDE—ON BOTH A LARGE AND A SMALL SCALE
ONE THAT IS RARELY RECOGNIZED, OFTEN HIDDEN, OR, IF IN THE OPEN, FREQUENTLY UNCHALLENGED—OR NOT BELIEVED.
HOW COULD WE LEARN, SUPPORT—AND SPREAD THE WORD?
WE COULD BUY HER BOOK—OR—BORROW IT FROM A LIBRARY—OR FROM A FRIEND.
LEND IT OUT—OR—COURAGEOUSLY GIFT IT.
C:WED WISH AT THANKSGIVING:
WE ARE EVER SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 🩷
IF YOU ARE PREPARING YOUR END-OF-YEAR CHARITABLE GIVING LIST, WE WOULD SO APPRECIATE YOUR INCLUDING US!
—YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION WILL HELP US GREATLY WITH ONGOING TECHNOLOGY FEES!
—REMEMBER US ON:
“GIVING TUESDAY” — DECEMBER 2, 2025
