Gratitude has been one of my most profound teachers this year. I’ve learned that it isn’t just an emotion—it’s a frequency we tune into. When we pause long enough to acknowledge what has held us, softened us, or supported us, something shifts inside. The breath deepens. The nervous system relaxes. The heart steadies.

And just as meditation rewires the brain, so does gratitude. The more we practice it, the more our neural pathways begin to shift. Gratitude trains the mind to notice what is supportive rather than what is stressful. It strengthens the areas of the brain responsible for emotional balance and connection, while softening the parts wired for vigilance. Over time, gratitude becomes a quiet form of inner transformation — not by force, but by gentle repetition.  As contradictory as it may seem, it is often easy to sit in pain than to revel in joy.  When I feel joy, I try to savor it and really feel it.  Sitting in gratitude is a wonderful practice.

One of the things that surprised me most this year was how compassion rises in the spaces we least expect. When a friend of our family passed away unexpectedly, there was a tenderness that moved through all of us. Even in the depth of sadness, our hearts opened. We reached for one another with more softness, more presence, more love. It reminded me that grief doesn’t only take—sometimes it reveals the best of who we are.

Gratitude doesn’t deny the pain of life. It expands our capacity to hold it. And in that expansion, we grow.