Many of you may recall having read these lines from past Thanksgivings; it is a retelling of a visit I had with one of my patients during this time of year—a woman whose life and struggles were unlike mine in many ways, but who nevertheless taught me many things about courage and integrity.

I hope you enjoy these words, and have a blessed Thanksgiving week.

•      •      •

Allow me to spin upon the spindle
a tale of an encounter true.
A patient once, a homeless mum,
her words now shared with you:

The hour of autumn arrives anew
when mirth and feasts abound.
But let me confess my days to you,
true gifts which have been found…

The steady cadence of my heart,
voice to praise when souls fall dark,
vision to behold each fresh day’s start-
For this, I am thankful.

The assured exhale of every breath,
joys gone by, its memories kept,
cloth to shield from winter’s death-
For this, I am thankful

Days when I can veil my cries,
days I look you in the eyes,
to know on night lies brighter skies-
For this, I am thankful.

So for this…I am thankful.

•

Phoebe Chi, MD, MPH

As a physician, author, and managing editor of PhoebeMD: Medicine + Poetry, Dr. Chi aims to inspire, educate, and empower the reader community. With a focus on health promotion and disease prevention, Dr. Chi has developed chronic disease management programs aimed at reducing hospitalizations and enhancing the quality of life for those living with chronic conditions. She is the author of Being Empowered for a Healthy Heart: A personal guide to taking control of your health while living with chronic conditions and the founder of Pendants for a Cause–a nonprofit organization that creates handcrafted sea glass jewelry for the purpose of raising funds to fight illness and provide care to medically vulnerable populations around the world.

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