It's to the best of our knowledge. I'm Anne Strainchamps, and this Thanksgiving week we're thinking about gratitude.

Give us thankful hearts, O God, in this the season of thy Thanksgiving. May we be thankful for health

and strength, for sun and rain and peace.

Let us seize the day and the opportunity and strive for that greatness of spirit that measures life not by its disappointments, but by its possibilities.

And let us ever remember that true gratitude and appreciation shows itself neither in independence nor satisfaction, but passes the gift joyfully on in larger and better form.

Such gratitude grant us, O Lord. Amen. W.E.B. Du Bois on Psalm 100 from his book Prayers for Dark People.

That's our friend and colleague Cynthia Woodland. One of the things we're grateful for is her voice.

Every religion in the world preaches gratitude.

Some of the most beautiful poetry ever written, the most glorious music ever composed, was to give thanks.

And today, neuroscience, cardiology, psychology, they all agree.

Gratitude is literally good for you. It'll strengthen your heart, improve your mental health, lower stress hormones, maybe even make you live longer.

So why don't we all just walk around feeling grateful all the time? I mean, I sure don't. I feel anxious and upset about the Paris attacks. I'm worried about climate change and ISIS, and I'm sad the Packers lost.

Three times.

So, time for a lesson in Nikon.

That's a Japanese tradition or spiritual discipline that teaches people how to deliberately cultivate gratitude

by noticing all the tiny little things we take for granted.

Greg Kreach teaches Nikon in Middlebury, Vermont, and he says, if you want to give it a try,

be thankful for more than just the turkey this Thanksgiving.

Thank your roof, your furnace, even the lane lines in the street.

I think what I'm trying to suggest is that we look for a way to find special meaning in this

holiday. We have, most of us in Western society have such busy lives that we don't set aside

any time for self-reflection or quiet reflection stepping back from our life. And here's this one day that's set

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