This article originally appeared in Axios Finish Line, our nightly newsletter on life, leadership and wellness. Sign up here.
Hundreds of Axios readers sent us reflections on gratitude this Thanksgiving. We're inspired by the humility, resilience and love in their stories.
Why it matters: We feel grateful for all sorts of blessings in life, but most of us rarely take the time to think about those things — let alone write them down.
Here is a selection of reader reflections:
- "[A]s I sit here typing this story, my sister willingly toils in the kitchen making pies, special dishes and prepping a turkey. I cannot cook at all! She does not judge or resent me but takes satisfaction in how much I appreciate her efforts in preparing Hungarian foods that recreate our mother's home cooking." —Barbara R., Washington, D.C.
- "I am grateful for the smell of salt air, the sound of seagulls, the crisp breeze, the evergreen trees and the mountains." —Denna M., Port Angeles, Washington
- "My dad just died last week. I'm grateful that so many people have reached out to my mom, brother, and me and told us how much he touched their lives." —Ross K., Oak Park, California
- "I'm grateful for my manager taking the time to check in with me this week following the hate-based attack on LGBTQ people in Colorado Springs ... [T]hese one-on-one conversations go a long way toward ensuring all people feel seen and heard." —Joseph W., Stratham, New Hampshire
- "I am grateful to be a mom through adoption. I am 85 years old, and my son and daughter are so good to me." —Marilyn L., Maple Grove, Minnesota
- "I'm grateful to be experiencing my first Thanksgiving with my partner, Clay. He's meeting the whole extended fambam for the first time, and it feels so right! Eek!" —Dayna A., Los Angeles, California
- "I'm grateful that my parents, who were Holocaust survivors, were able to emigrate to the United States, where I have been given opportunities they could never have dreamed of, including the ability to pay it forward and help others." —Howard W., West Orange, New Jersey
- "I am grateful for my colleagues in county government. They strive daily to make life better for all citizens, knowing most folks will never think about them unless something goes wrong." —Steve W., Lancaster, South Carolina
- "There is no higher and stronger measure of gratitude than being a heart transplant recipient. I am eternally grateful to my unknown donor every morning I open my eyes." —Frank A., San Marcos, California
- "I am grateful for the chance to be a firefighter, where I helped many people, pulling 6 people out of burning buildings. It is so true that giving is so much more rewarding — that the giver gets more than the receiver." —Mikey C., Dayton, Ohio
- "I'm grateful for my nightly task of cleaning the kitchen because it means my life is full of satisfying, quiet routine and family ritual. I'm grateful for the example of persevering and positive people caught in tragedy, injustice or unexpected chaos because they show me how to live when quiet routines are not possible." —Tom A., Falls Church, Virginia
- "I am grateful for the sound of my two sons talking and laughing as I fall asleep. They've just turned 25 together; how wonderful is that?" —Carrie K., Albany, California
