Gratefulness is the gallantry of a heart ready to rise to the opportunity a given moment offers.

One single gift acknowledged in gratefulness has the power to dissolve the ties of our alienation.

There is no closer bond than the one that gratefulness celebrates, the bond between giver and thanksgiver. Everything is a gift. Grateful living is a celebration of the universal give-and-take of life, a limitless yes to belonging. Can our world survive without gratefulness? Whatever the answer, one thing is certain: to say an unconditional yes to the mutual belonging of all beings will make this a more joyful world. This is the reason why Yes is my favorite synonym for God.

In moments of surprise we catch at least a glimpse of the joy to which gratefulness opens the door.

If you learn to respond as if it’s the first day in your life and the very last day, then you will have spent this day very well.

We have thousands of opportunities every day to be grateful: for having good weather, to have slept well last night, to be able to get up, to be healthy, to have enough to eat. ... There's opportunity upon opportunity to be grateful; that's what life is.

"The Holy Spirit . . . wants to flow through us and realize all these wonderful possibilities in the world - if we only open ourselves and allow it to happen."