Grateful Living Resources: A Pandemic Care Package

“As life becomes harder and more threatening, it also becomes richer, because the fewer expectations we have,
the more the good things of life become unexpected gifts that we accept with gratitude.” ― Etty Hillesum

At A Network for Grateful Living we often refer to gratefulness as an orientation to life that has an unconditional and expansive embrace. Such an embrace isn’t reserved for that which is pleasant, desired, or going our way; it accepts and includes the great fullness of life — the entirety of our experience. Such an embrace opens us to the teachings and opportunities within every moment. It offers us what we need not merely to survive difficult times but to appreciate their gifts, even when the gifts take time to reveal themselves. When life feels too small or too big to handle, too predictable or too uncertain, we need gratefulness most.

As our daily realities continue to shift in the face of Covid-19, we offer the following collection of practices, poetry, readings, ways to connect, and more to help care for, uplift, and guide each other in and through these times. This collection will be updated, so feel free to bookmark and revisit…

Quick Links
Each link below will jump you to the corresponding section:

• Practices
• Poetry
• Readings
• Videos
• Additional Inspiration

Metta Meditation by Sylvia Boorstein (7:30): This meditation, offered as a resource through On Being, invites us to cultivate loving-kindness toward ourselves and others. This simple practice can profoundly impact the way we orient toward ourselves and others, especially during this time of hardship.

Handwashing: A Grateful Practice: As we endeavor to wash our hands more frequently and with more intention, this practice offers several ideas for embracing the opportunity that comes with what could feel like an obligation.

Practicing Faith in Life: Using the foundation of Stop. Look. Go., this practice helps us let go of our need to control life, inspiring us instead to be with the unknown.

Lockdown, Richard Hendrick

We Look with Uncertainty, Anne Hillman

The Patience of Ordinary Things, Pat Schneider

From Which It All Began, Bernadette Miller

Today, When I Could Do Nothing, Jane Hirshfield

Instructions on Not Giving Up, Ada Limón

Daydream, A.S.J. Tessimond

Ways to Connect

eCards: A wonderful way to stay in touch with dear ones near and far. Explore our robust and varied collection of eCards and feel free to send directly as eCards or download and share via text or in an email.

Candles: Lighting a virtual candle can connect you to inner stillness, to prayers, blessings and intentions, and to a global community.

Questions: Engage with our Daily Question as a personal practice or to deepen connection with family, friends and colleagues in virtual on in-person conversations.

Sound Sanctuary: Connect with nature! Let nature’s healing music ease the cares and concerns of your day and soothe your mind/body/spirit.

Gratefulness Gatherings: Explore grateful living in community. Through rich discussion, meaningful connections with others, and collective wisdom, virtual Gratefulness Gatherings help inform and deepen our experience of grateful living.

Gratefulness in your Inbox: Subscribe to our offerings. We send gratefulness-inspired quotes, poetry, and resources through our Word for the Day, Poem a Month, and twice-monthly newsletter.