Illustration: Thanksgiving and Gratitude for All That We Have

Melody Beattie is the author of many popular self-help books, including Codependent No More. She has fought battles with abuse, addiction and the overwhelming grief of losing her son. She emerged from the pain to help others. In spite of her struggles, a major theme in her work and life is gratitude. She says:

“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. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”