With the season of Thanksgiving upon us, many of us instinctively reach for gratitude. We make lists, we gather with family, and we remind ourselves to appreciate what is good. But in recent years, gratitude feels harder to cultivate. And we are not imagining it. Psychologically, emotionally, and culturally, we are living through an unusually heavy time.

We carry political conflicts that divide communities and family tables. We absorb a steady stream of distressing global news, including wars, humanitarian crises, climate anxiety , and economic strain. Closer to home, people are grieving the loss of loved ones, navigating caregiver stress, experiencing mental illness, and managing the daily overwhelm of modern life.

And all of this arrives in a season that asks us to slow down, conne

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