Intermittently Awesome

As Thanksgiving Day approaches in the US, my social media feed offers a cornucopia of memes and messages about the importance of giving thanks all year round.  While the holiday itself is extremely problematic , it’s hard to find fault with practicing gratitude. Studies suggest that meditating on a few things we're grateful for each day can help increase optimism and self-esteem.  Celebrating a bountiful harvest reminds us what is possible with hard work and long-term planning. We cultivate better relationships when we acknowledge all that our co-workers, friends, and loved ones do for us and return the favor. If we pinpoint the good things in our lives, however small, we're less likely to fall into despair or catastrophic thinking. By focusing on the positive, we're better equipped to cope with the occasional negative. But what happens when gratitude ceases to be a means of healing and growth and becomes a tool of oppression? What if the people who encourage us to count o