December 2013 Greetings

I hope this email finds you well!  I am back in the States after a fantastic trip to Tanzania.  This was my first time not celebrating Thanksgiving in the U.S. with family and friends (and I missed that), but I was very grateful to be in Africa with my husband seeing the most spectacular wildlife and scenery, and meeting many lovely people there.  I feel truly blessed to have had this experience – I know how lucky I am.  I also am thankful for all those folks we met working so hard to conserve these special wilderness areas in Africa, to protect endangered species from poachers, and to include the local communities in the eco-tourism industry so as to increase their standard of living and access to education.   And although my jet lag is getting the best of me (this night owl doing work at 6 am?), I am so grateful to be back in NYC where my life is very good and I hope to never take that for granted.  Lately, there are more and more studies finding that practicing gratitude can improve one’s physical health and alleviate anxiety and depression.  I had been thinking about starting a gratitude journal, and then found a nice one in my favorite gift catalog:  “From Gratitude to Bliss Journal” by Lorraine Miller at www.isabellacatalog.com , item # 29892.   What makes you thankful?