Spiritual Quote of the Day (Albert Schweitzer, on Those Who Rekindle Our Inner Light)

“As a rule there are in everyone all sorts of good ideas, ready like tinder. But much of this tinder catches fire, or catches it successfully, only when it meets some flame or spark from outside, i.e. from some other person. Often, too, our own light goes out, and is rekindled by some experience we go through with a fellow man. Thus we have each of us cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flames within us.”— Nobel Peace Prize-winning German-French theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), Memoirs of Childhood and Youth, translated by C. T. Campion (1924)

Quote of the Day (Roy T. Bennett, on ‘The Simplest Act of Gratitude’)

“Everyone enjoys being acknowledged and appreciated. Sometimes even the simplest act of gratitude can change someone's entire day. Take the time to recognize and value the people around you and appreciate those who make a difference in your lives.”— American author and speaker Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart: Inspirational Thoughts for Living Your Best Life (2021)

The image accompanying this post comes from the 1999 BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, with Ray Winstone playing Abel Magwitch—an escaped convict whose gratitude to the young Pip will be demonstrated in a most unusual way.

Quote of the Day (G.K. Chesterton, on Thanks as ‘The Highest Form of Thought’)

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”—English man of letters G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936), A Short History of England (1917)

Spiritual Quote of the Day (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, on Gratitude and the Richness of Life)

"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich. It is very easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements in comparison with what we owe others."—German Lutheran theologian and anti-Nazi activist Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), Letters and Papers from Prison: The Enlarged Edition, edited by Eberhard Bethge (1997)

Quote of the Day (Samuel Johnson, on Gratitude)

“Gratitude is a fruit of great cultivation; you do not find it among gross people.”—English man of letters Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), quoted in James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson (1791)

The image accompanying this post is a portrait of Dr. Johnson by his friend, the English painter Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792).

Quote of the Day (Patton Oswalt, on Why He Feels Lucky)

“I've been very lucky in my life in terms of people who are able to tolerate me.”—Comedian Patton Oswalt, Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film (2015)

Same goes for me—which might explain how I’ve made it this far. Thanks to you all.

(Photo taken by Gage Skidmore of Patton Oswalt speaking at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International, for "Stranger Things," at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif, July 22, 2017.)

Song Lyric of the Day (Don Henley, on ‘My Thanksgiving’)

“For everyone who helped me start

And for everything that broke my heart

For every breath, for every day of living

This is my Thanksgiving.”— Don Henley, Stan Lynch, and Jai Winding, “My Thanksgiving,” performed by Henley on his Inside Job CD (2000)

(Photo of Don Henley backstage taken by Steve Jurvetson, on the Eagles’ Farewell Tour 1, Oct. 29, 2006.)

Quote of the Day (Thomas Merton, on Gratitude and the ‘Love of God in Everything’)

“To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything He has given us—and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is grace, for it brings with us immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder, and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.”—American Trappist monk Thomas Merton (1915-1968), Thoughts in Solitude (1956)

Quote of the Day (Melody Beattie, on How ‘Gratitude Unlocks the Fullness of Life’)

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. It turns problems into gifts, failures into successes, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. It can turn an existence into a real life, and disconnected situations into important and beneficial lessons. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. Gratitude makes things right.”— Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations for Codependents (1990)