Ever-thankful: Gratitude Offered in "Sympathetic Magic"

by Jane Stahl

I’m so spoiled. I was, and am, blessed with a loving family, in good health, born into a caring community, educated and mentored by people who believed in me and encouraged me to achieve. I’m profoundly grateful to be living in a country—despite all its faults—founded on humanity’s highest ideals.

And so, I am ever-thankful. There’s much still to be done, challenges to meet—some, today, sadly, quite unexpected. But, as long as I’m able, I will continue in efforts to forward the sense of connection that former President Barack Obama expressed in an interview with CNN's The Axe Files podcast.

President Obama offered, "There are still strong communities out there, and I think people do long for a sense of connection. I think they still want to believe in something. [my emphasis] What, I think, current leaders, younger leaders have to figure out is, how do we rebuild a political culture, a media culture, a business culture that is worthy of trust.”

One current, young leader, Pam Grossman, offered “sympathetic magic,” in her book Waking the Witch. She writes of “‘sympathetic magic,’…empathic magic…. Support, compassion, and mutual consideration are the key ingredients to manifesting prosperity and peace for everyone. Lifting each other up whenever possible is how we’ll truly take to the skies.”

Perhaps we, in gratitude, may join Pam and offer “sympathetic magic,” in efforts to rebuild a world worthy of trust as the “lift,” the hope for tomorrow, in these, our challenging times. 

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