being frank

I received a note today from a dear family member whom I had just visited for Thanksgiving a couple of days ago. The note contained a video clip that reminded me of a valuable lesson: That the act of giving thanks is not exclusive to the world of the apex biped. In the words of my wise cousin:

Thanks can also be given to those who make the commitment and extend a benevolent hand to provide care for an important part of our natural world that may need help to survive, endure, and please all who treasure the world around us.

What made me smile was that, when he received this little video you’ll see below, he thought of the words I had written in a posting entitled My Thanks that I uploaded just before the holiday. In and of itself, that was a gift; a wonderful gift of awareness, of association; of love. It demonstrated that in the way that violence begets violence, so does an act of kindness beget further acts of kindness. And when kindness is shared – regardless of who or what is the recipient or benefactor – thanks are a wonderfully inevitable byproduct.

I wrote my cousin to ask if I may share this little gem here on the blog, and he wholeheartedly approved. In his words, it sure made me feel good to see the good stuff that still does indeed bring that wondrous healing effect amongst our troubled world.

Kindness and thanks that generate a healing effect – now that’s an affordable care plan.

So here it is for your delectation; feel free to smile with abandon: