"Today is a day, a day just like any other day, that's a beautiful day. Whether a day is called beautiful or not depends on how you describe a beautiful day. But let me tell you that all the beaut- ies are there in front of you, but when you try too hard to see, you might not see what it all meant to be. You can control what it is and what it'd be, you are alive and you are breathing, 'n thats some- thing to be grateful for. I am me, you are you, the day is hot and the day is cold, as you can see. But when you do, the things that you do, in a day like today, which is to enjoy the day, you will find your way, and my friends, that way will follow you. Have a great day, but if you need more reason 2 enjoy the day, go read poems on the right and enjoy as you may. If not, I’d say, you should read this mes- sage one more time and embrace the ray and embrace the sleigh." — Ta S. Kasitipradit "People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will descend like fine weather if you are fortunate. But happiness is the result of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly."" – Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love "I’m 51 today. 51 tomorrow, yay was 51 yesterday. 52 is months away, And yes I’m thankful. Although it’s not my real birthday,it kinda is in a certain way.I’m still alive another day. I had the notion to celebrate. And be thankful. Though it’s not a holiday. Thanksgiving has come and gone away, I’m just alive today. For that I’m thankful. Honestly, I am not just trying to make these lines rhyme, or reflect upon the deep sublime. I’m just grateful today to be alive. I mean really thankful. I’m not trying to wow you with philosophy, Or impress you with theology.It matters not at all to me. I just feel thankful. So tonight I take a walk outside, I look up into the endless sky and then I breathe. I breathe in deep, and I say thank you. And maybe not just to who you think, man let’s throw in the kitchen sink, and include all who’ve touched my life, to whom I’m thankful. Some of you I’m glad you’re gone, even tho you still live on. Frankly you stayed a bit too long but some of you, the grave stole far too soon, And yet I’m still thankful. Today the living and the dead. You’ve both been right up inside my head, and synergized this verbal thread. For that I’m thankful. I close my eyes and think of Tim, named David right there toward the end. I always smile when I think of him, And now I listen I heard a siren going by, I wonder who and wonder why, was it a wreck, did someone die? Yet still I listen. Neighbors dogs are going wild. Was that the laughter of a child. Seems like I can hear for miles. Still I listen. I hear the highway roar of cars. Tho I have never heard the stars. Is there really life on Mars? Shhh brain please shut up and listen! The soft night whispers in my ears. Pressing through my random fears, I stand amazed at what I hear. And now I wonder. I open up my eyes and see as I feel this winter breeze. The silhouette of leafless trees. I stand in wonder. Then I wonder about the first man to ever be, or the first time he looked up to see the Milky Way, the galaxies. Did he wonder? I wonder what he did. How he loved, how he lived. If he ever lost a friend? Man oh man I wonder. Was he the first to dig a grave? How it sounded if he prayed? How he fought? How he played? If that man could see us all today, What would he say I wonder? In ways was he a lot like me? Did he sometimes fear what he could not see? Did he create unseen walls of unbelief? I stand and wonder. Did he ever hurt the ones he loved? Did life convince him not to trust? I wonder. My great grandfather lived, my DNA is shared with him. I wonder how we are the same, And I don’t even know his name. Still I wonder. Will my great grand kids know my name? Will it even matter who’s to say? Will they look up in wonder? Will they listen? Will they be thankful? Not much I can leave to them that would matter too much in the end. I suppose the primal hope in man is the hope. I hope, hope lives on in them. I hope they wonder. About the universe. I hope they listen. To life’s unspoken verse. I hope they’re thankful. Even in midst of deepest hurts. I hope they’re thankful. I hope they listen. I hope they wonder. And no matter what life hands them, I hope they hope." — Kelly Crenshaw