Today is just two days before Thanksgiving Day. I find myself slowing down in ways I once resisted. Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s wisdom, or maybe it’s simply where life has brought me, but this year, gratitude feels less like something I “practice” and more like something I quietly notice. It rises in unexpected moments, soft and steady, shaping my days.
I’ve been blogging since 2009, and for all these years, writing has been my anchor. Even now, it gives me a place to lay down my thoughts, to make sense of the world, and to share a little of myself with whoever might be reading. My posts have always wandered from TV shows I rediscover, to the latest headlines, to scientific breakthroughs and memories from my FDA years but they’ve been part of a long conversation about what matters.
Looking back on my career with the FDA, especially the seasons of my life spent working on anti-malarial drug products and those difficult months after 9/11, I realize how deeply those experiences shaped me. I didn’t always appreciate it at the time. But now, with distance, I can see the enormous privilege of having spent my life doing work that protected others. It wasn’t glamorous, and it rarely earned applause, but it was meaningful. And for that, I am deeply grateful.
In this chapter of my life, living with the reality of a serious illness, gratitude has taken on a more tender tone. I’ve made choices about my care with a clear mind and an open heart, including declining dialysis. There is peace in that decision. A surprising peace, actually. It has reminded me that gratitude is not about pretending everything is fine; it is about recognizing what remains beautiful, even in difficult terrain.
I am grateful for the simple things: For the comfort of my weekly massages, which have become small sanctuaries of care. For mornings when my body cooperates and I can move through the world with ease. For familiar TV shows that wrap me in a sense of companionship. For the rhythm of writing, which gives shape to my days.
And I am grateful for connection, for the readers who pause to spend a few minutes with me with their comments; for the quiet exchange that happens between writer and reader even when we never meet. My blog has been a companion through so many seasons of my life. It has allowed me to keep learning, to keep reflecting, to keep speaking in my own voice.
This Thanksgiving, I’m not thinking about big celebrations or grand gratitude lists. Instead, I’m noticing the smaller, honest things: The warmth of a weighted blanket. The comfort of a familiar routine. The memory of the work I once did. The presence of people who care. A surprise gift (Filipino Food) from a Kababayan and the gift of another day to notice any of it at all. The ability to enjoy good food, ethnic or otherwise. And finally, the connection from closed relatives specially on Holidays.
As the Thanksgiving Day approach, my hope is simple: that gratitude finds you in the quiet places too. That it meets you gently, without expectation. And that whatever this season looks like for you, whether lively or peaceful, crowded or still, you’re able to find a moment that feels warm, grounding, and true.
From my heart to yours, I wish you ALL, a Thanksgiving filled with meaning, reflection, and the kind of gratitude that doesn’t announce itself, but simply rests softly in the background, reminding us we’re still here.
Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorite quotes on Gratitude:
- “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward
- “If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” — Meister Eckhart
- “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” — Maya Angelou
- “Thanks are the highest form of thought, and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” — G.K. Chesterton
- “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.” — Anonymous
Finally, Here are five top news stories for November 25, 2025:
Pope Leo’s First Foreign Trip: Pope Leo (the first U.S.-born pope) is set to visit Turkey and Lebanon from Nov 27 to Dec 2 to deliver a message of peace and interfaith dialogue. Reuters
G20 Summit in South Africa Concludes: The G20 Johannesburg summit saw a 122-point declaration focused on global equity, debt relief, climate, and sustainable development — despite the U.S. largely boycotting the event. Le Monde.fr+1
COP30 Climate Summit Disrupted by Fire: A fire broke out at the COP30 climate conference venue in Belém, Brazil, prompting evacuation; smoke inhalation was reported for some participants. AP News+1
UN Chief Blames Climate Inaction: UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the world’s failure to meet the 1.5°C global warming target as a “moral failure,” urging stronger commitments at COP30. The Guardian
Australia Politics — Gambling Ad Reform & Domestic Violence Funding: In Australia, Senator David Pocock criticized PM Anthony Albanese for delaying a ban on gambling ads, even as the government announced a $41.8M boost to the national domestic violence helpline (1800 Respect). The Guardian
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