“Kris, Dad passed this morning.” I received this call from my sister, Laurie, last month. It isn’t a call you are ever ready to receive; however, I did know it was coming. Dad had been on hospice care and they let us know he was in his final days. Our family is very blessed, we have always been a tight-knit group. We came together and shared stories expressing how thankful we were to be raised in such a loving household filled with good times and a sense of humor.

Emerging research shows gratitude to be one of the easiest, most effective ways to kickstart happiness and wellbeing. “The good news about gratitude is that it is one of the more growable character strengths—and it’s never too late,” says Giacomo Bono, Ph.D. in our article Kids With Gratitude. During my mother’s illness, prior to her passing in 2016, my father found it very difficult to express gratitude for anything. His grief was so heavy that the process of emerging back into life seemed to be his last great metamorphosis. During this time, we supported him by finding opportunities to demonstrate appreciation and encourage happiness. As he healed, he was able to appreciate many things, especially his children, and his burden seemed to lighten. During the last phase of his life, as his body declined, he had reached a state of peace and consistent gratitude for those around him. My sister and I believe it was what allowed him to finally let go.

During this month of Thanksgiving, it is a great time to reflect on the many blessings in my life. I am grateful for my family, friends, colleagues, our natural health community and readers of this publication. Our family is so grateful for the caring staff at Zon Beachside and our hospice nurse that helped our father during his last phase of life. And I am thankful that my father is pain-free and so very happy for him that he is finally with mom where he always wanted to be.

As you enjoy Thanksgiving Day, I hope you find opportunities to appreciate the ones you love. Expressing gratitude can bring us peace right here on Earth.

In gratitude,

Kris Urquhart, Publisher