BY ALICE GADDI ROSELOAs another year draws to a close, I reflect on the themes we've explored in the GAB Gazette throughout 2026. We began with Beginnings We Choose, followed by Planting Seeds, Tender Shoots: Anticipation and Hope, The First Blossoms, and Sharing the Harvest.
Looking back, I realize that these themes have been about far more than gardening. They reflect the natural rhythm of our lives: making choices, nurturing hopes, patiently waiting, celebrating small achievements, and learning from what did not turn out as expected.
And now we come to our final theme, Gathering the Gifts: Gratitude and Grace.
November and December seem fitting months for reflections. Thanksgiving invites us to count our blessings, while Christmas reminds us of the joy of giving and spending time with people we love. As autumn turns to winter, the shorter days invite us to take a quiet pause to look back.
This year, I have had to learn to slow down. After receiving a diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis, I've learned that easing my pace, though difficult, doesn’t necessarily mean a less fulfilling life. In fact, it has given me more time to notice and appreciate what I often took for granted.
We said goodbye to Winwin, one of our beloved cats. I miss the familiar little routines and the companionship that had become part of my everyday life. Her absence reminds me how easily we overlook ordinary moments until they are gone. I am grateful for the years we had together.
My recent trip to Japan with my son also gave me something to think about. I learned about ōsōji, the practice of thoroughly cleaning one's home before the new year. I like the idea of clearing away what we no longer need to make room for a fresh start.
Perhaps we could do a little housekeeping of the heart: letting go of old resentments, forgiving ourselves for mistakes, accepting things we can no longer change, and thanking those who have made a difference in our lives. I know I have my own clutter to clear away!
Lately, I have been thinking about what gratitude and grace really mean to me.
Gratitude is more than counting our blessings. It is remembering the people who helped us, valuing opportunities we were given, and cherishing the ordinary pleasures we sometimes disregard.
Some things are easy to be grateful for. Others take time. Looking back, we may recognize that an experience we once considered a disappointment taught us something. But not every loss comes wrapped in a hidden blessing and we don't need to pretend it does.
Grace, to me, is learning to live with kindness and acceptance, especially when things don't turn out as we expected. It means allowing ourselves to be imperfect, forgiving where we can, and accepting that some questions may never have satisfying answers.
At this stage of life, I am also learning that grace includes being kinder to myself. I need not accomplish everything I once planned, nor must I always be the one giving help. I am learning to accept help graciously, too, even when my first instinct is still to say, “I can manage!”
Guided Autobiography (GAB) has given all of us opportunities to practice both gratitude and grace through remembering, reflecting, writing, and sharing. I have discovered that revisiting an experience years later can change how we understand it. What once felt like failure may eventually lead us in a direction we had never considered. A difficult relationship may teach us about forgiveness or boundaries. Sometimes, we simply learn to accept what happened without fully understanding why.
I cherish the stories shared in our GAB community. Although we come from different backgrounds and have lived unique lives on distant continents, I often recognize something of my own experience in another person's story. I am reminded, too, that listening with respect and without judgment can be as valuable as sharing our own experiences.
As we conclude the year, I invite you to look back on your own experiences. What have you come to understand about yourself this year? Who made a difference in your life? What have you learned to accept or forgive? What are you ready to let go of? What do you now appreciate more than you did before?
We don’t need to be thankful for every experience to appreciate what we have learned from it. Perhaps gratitude helps us recognize what is worth keeping, while grace helps us accept what we must leave behind.
As we welcome another year, may we carry forward the people and memories we treasure, the lessons we can share, and enough hope to plant a few more seeds.
