Gratitude, with a side of music.

Many of the things on my grateful list repeat, such as my family, but there are certainly more whimsical things that pop up from time to time…dark chocolate, silly seagulls that Olive chases on the beach, shows that make me laugh like Ted Lasso and Schitts Creek, Christmas lights, Café Kilim baristas. What’s on your list?

I AM GRATEFUL for a loving God, who has offered this time and place as an opportunity for growth..a reminder of how valuable our relationships are. They are our greatest treasure.

When I received Rob’s email asking me to write a Daily Reflection on gratitude, I was filled with, well, a deep sense of gratitude! I have been inspired and encouraged by the essays written by members of the St. John’s family during this trying and troubling year and am grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to the cause.

I have found so much to be grateful for this holiday season. My family, friends, dogs, spending time in nature, delicious food, community. I hope that wherever you are this holiday, you see that whatever you are separated from, those places, people, things, you call home- they are always with you.

Let us reflect with gratitude on the happiness of the past, on this moment, and for the light at the end of the tunnel.

When I was seven years old, I am told, I started sitting down at that organ - picking out notes and attempting to teach myself to read music (with the Lowrey color-coded music left in the organ’s bench). I quickly found myself taking organ lessons with a graduate student in the University of Iowa’s Organ Department.