Thanksgiving- With deep and profound gratitude

It's Thanksgiving Day in the USA

Although I personally believe that everyday, every moment, every breath offers so many facets to be grateful for,and at the very least remind us of our own humility and humanity, they also present opportunities to express kindness, gratitude, benevolence.

It's hard to imagine that ten years ago, I would not have been able to type this post or share my thoughts through this medium, weakened by the wolf of lupus, MS and so many other conditions, struggling to maintain breathing, to walk more than a few steps and keep my kidneys from failing. Yet, things change! My favourite book, the YI JING so clearly illustrates this.

It has been a long, arduous journey, through mountains and ice storms, sometimes sliding down icy peaks and searching through darkness for the Northern Lights, but the rewards have been priceless. As I sit here tonight, I am especially thankful for the lessons of illness and healing, the many discoveries along the way, the people and places I would not have otherwise encountered and the MANY people who shared their journeys, their experiences, the knowledge and skills along the twists and turns thus far.

I am especially grateful for the way everything seems to fall into place when we need it, how everything we need is somewhere within and around us. Awakening to the existence and presence of these necessities is all that is required:)

Tonight, as I do everyday, I appreciate the life I have been granted since the day Chinese medicine entered my life. I appreciate Dr, Arvigo for sharing Mayan traditions, the way my life has always led me back to the Sioux healing methods and knowledge of elders, for Ms. Souly for sharing Lao traditional medicine, for the Buddhist traditions I've learned along the way, for Unani and Quranic healing and teachings, Tibetan Medicine and so many others.

I appreciate:

Dr. Ashis Brahma for his friendship, his laughter and his love, for chats and comparative medicine conversations, for always believing and being the incredibly special man he is.

Dr. Elizabeth Garcia-Gray for her friendship, encouragement and support, for so many conversations and the times she shared her memories of her grandmother preparing herbs for the family, revealing that they rarely needed to go to the hospital.

Dr. Matt Krystal, Dr. Brian Hoffert, Dr. Richard Guzman, Dr. Alex Bolyanatz, Professor Ellen Johnson and all my professors for the tools they gave me to continue along the pathway, to pursue the way

Professor Jane Jiajing Wu aka The Chinese Lady for her friendship, her lessons that keep on giving, for her encouragement and her love

Dr. Larisa Turin for initially saving my life and teaching me so many Chinese and Mongolian Traditions

Dr. Zhengang Guo and Dr. Guang Xie for teaching and supporting me along the way, for sustaining my life and showing me the way

Dr. Yan Zao Ming, Dr. Qiu Shao Lin, Dr. Shu, Dr. Yang Qing Zhi, Dr. Shen, Dr. Zhang, and Dr. Chu for sharing so much of your time, knowledge and skills, for being such wonderful examples of what Chinese medicine doctors are and should be

My Huaihua family for all that you are

Dr. Zhu Ming for allowing me to learn and research in Huaihua and for his vision

Dr. Wang Hong Cai for his invaluable guidance, friendship and a memorable class

My friends and family for the incredible gifts you are to me

and My children for their love, for the sacrifices they have made and continue to make as we continue this path for true healing of all,

My Tongxue for being the wonderful man you are

and the many, many patients that have also been my teachers.

Thank-you all so much! I wish you all love, health and happiness. And to anyone who reads this, I wish you the same. Mitakuye Oyasin.