Thank you--For writing, painting, photographing, sitting in, speaking out, holding, healing, giving, loving

© L. Kathryn Grace

To every person who has ever written a story or a poem or a blog post from her heart, I say thank you.

To every artist, photographer, musician, sculptor, who told her life or another's story through her medium, thank you.

To every gardener who sowed a seed, planted a tree, dug out an invasive vine and replanted a native, taught a child to compost, weed and water at the right time of day, thank you.

To every parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle who spent an hour nurturing a child when there were so many more important things to be done, my abiding gratitude.

And to those women and men who daily tend the abused, violated, neglected and broken children whose families haven't the capacity to love and support them, thank you.

To every activist, armchair and in the streets, who ever wrote a letter, made a sign, took a stand, or marched on city hall, Washington, the Kremlin or anywhere in any land in hope of making a better, more just world, thank you.

Thank you to the man or woman who moves from a comfortable middle class home to Haiti, Uzbekistan, the Gaza Strip, the impoverished, filthy ghettos of any neighborhood, village or city anywhere in the world to save a few lives, provide medical care, build a latrine.

Thank you to every human being who, faced with insurmountable need, daunting challenges, fading hope, refuses to give up, keeps going despite repeated failure, and does the next task and the next and the next.

© L. Kathryn Grace

Whoever you are, wherever you are, whether you're making the world a more beautiful place through your art and words, or hugging a lice-infested homeless man most of us would give a wide berth, thank you.

Thank you for doing it one more time.

Thank you for giving it one more shot.

Thank you for believing that no matter how difficult the task, your work means something to someone, even when you don't know who that someone might be and cannot imagine how it is possible.

If you don't think this is about you, stop right there. Listen. Whatever contribution you are making to the world, however small or futile it may seem at this moment, thank you. Thank you for giving your self. Thank you for doing what you can. Thank you for living the best way you know how right now.

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One more thing. Sometimes another writer tells a story so compelling, I cannot merely click away. Today, I send deepest gratitude to Alanna of Blood and Milk for telling the truth and giving those of us fortunate enough to have found her blog a glimpse of a world we can never understand watching a sound-byte clip on the nightly news. Alanna, may you and your staff be strengthened. May you have everything you need at every turn. May your hearts somehow be at peace amidst the suffering and chaos.

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We make peace in a million small ways every day.

All text and images, unless otherwise noted, copyright L. Kathryn Grace. All rights reserved.