Thanksgiving!

Ok, there's no way I can speak of Thanksgiving and not do it in English. So I'm sorry Portuguese-readers, but this is the best way I can do it.

I wasn't able to fully understand the North American culture until came November, and, with it, the Thanksgiving holidays. The whole idea of a country ideals based on giving grace for the opportunities, for the food, for a shelter, for the possibility of a life lived in freedom, just fascinated me. Ok, ok, things aren't really as pinky and flowery as I was seeing it, I know, there are stories of persecution, and witch-hunting, both literally and metaphorically, but since we tend to see only what we want to see, I chose to look at the History from a positive - pinky and flowery - perspective.

Well, continuing. I thought the idea of a continuous act of giving thanks for the good things in life was a very way of living, since you would always be aware of the blessings and the graces in life. Since that year I try, from time to time, to make a list of everything I should be grateful for, even on the dark moments (just like this one I'm going through...), even when it's seems there's nothing good or helpful or useful or a lesson for times to come.

Today I didn't send any email for those I cherish in life. I didn't send message or anything. Yes, I feel bad about it. But I also feel bad about so many things right now (my professional choices, mainly, and some personal-relations choices) that I can live with it, specially because I try to be thankful for the people I love everyday I can, using all opportunities to tell them (ok, in my own weird twisted way, but, still, a way of telling) how much they are important.

It's easy, simple, if you think about it. But it gets harder and harder to do it toward people as closer and closer they are to me. Family it, by far, the hardest! So please forgive me if I enver said it with all the words, but please aknowledge that you are very important to me and I love you.

So, inspired by a great idea of blog-community, that I came to know through a Selfportraier, I decided to do the same, and make my own thursday-thirteen-thanksgiving list.

1. The capacity to observe the world around me and to ponder about all. I'm very thankful for being able to see the different points of view in all matters, even if, at the end, I choose the one that suits me better, eventually being a bit stubborn.

2. The capacity to be filled with wonder. Still. Again. Time and time over. What really makes me happy is that no matter how many tears may fall, my eyes still can see the beautiful things out there.

3. The capacity of forgiving. I could never imagine a human heart would be able to deal with and process so much hurt. But it can, and, most important, it can heal from the forgiveness, and become stronger.

4. The ability to create. Put the words together, relate two different subjects and make them bigger by mixing them up, connect people, ideas, ideals. Nothing makes me happier than realizing the result of all the craziness and madness and confusion that goes on in my mind most of the time can become something good, beautiful, admired.

5. The capacity to learn. Needless to say more, nothing would be possible, in my life and in the History of humankind, if we would have to re-invent the wheel everytime.

6. The sense of compassion. I think compassion is the base in which a relation can grow with kindness and respect. It's empathy that makes us humans.

7. Technology. But nothing of the obvious you might say, like cellphones, internet, virtuality, ipods and stuff. I'm talking about the basics in the changes technology started. I'm grateful for electricity. I'm grateful for escalators. For air conditioning. For the radio and the telegraph. The real technological revolution.

8. Food. For nutrition or delight. The diversity of flavours and combinations. I include here beverages, in general, and wine, champagne and Coca-Cola in particular.

9. Books. All the knowledge, thoughs, researches, theories and stuff wouldn't go as far as reproducing stem cells for cure if we still had to memorize every information in chants and poetry. We would spend so much time memorizing and singing we wouldn't be able to do anything else. But if you have a book, well, you can take information and other people's discoverys and ideas everywhere.

10. Poetry. Mother of all fiction, the origin of literature. Representation of emotions, translation of beauty for human language.

11.Photography. The invention that changed the way the world saw itself. The possibility of capturing a moment, a reaction, a change, an ephemera move. A picture becomes a registration of the thousand words and meanings (to use a very well known cliche!) that one might never how to express with actual words.

12. Will power. I'm very thankful for realizing that no matter how hard a task my be, determination and a true desire can take me far.

13. The ability of love. The main reason behind most things I do and say and reach out for.

But, mostly, I'm thankful for all the people I met and helped me be a better person.