i   am today so grateful for life.  I didn't have to be here.  I.ve done a lot to stay healthy and vibrant, but, I.ve also abused my health and neglected myself, being so focused on saving the world and others.  Thank God, you felt that I was worthy to continue while I was on a crash course to do otherwise. 

In this month of November, while so many are planning a big dinner for thanksgiving,, I instead celebrate tNovember as a month of "giving thanks". .  I actually attempt to practice daily "gratitude", which is not the easiest but it is so beneficial.,,so even when I have those "whoe is me moments", I somehow work through them by reminding myself to look at what is working and not what isn't.   All of the self-developmentgurus speak of "gratitude " as the one aspect of healthy living, healing and success, that we all should be practicing daily as well as moment to moment. 

Today, I start with feeling grateful for my eyes...Last week I was diagnosed with advanced glaucoma.  I wasn't surprised, as my Mom had dealt with this issue, and so far medics have said that this issue has a genetic pre-disposition.  I was adviced to get a quick operation.  Today, I.m. grateful to my husband John who pulled out the U-tube videos of natural remedies and I.ve already started some.  I ..m grateful to my spiritual brother Dr. Kokayi Patterson,,who is an excellent acupuncturist, who needled me up yesterday, and it immediately made a difference. And I.m thankful for the MMS (Multi-mineral solution) and how it oxides so quickly toxic waste (more on this product in my John and Ayo Healing Journey blog coming up)  Today, I.m. grateful for being able to be flexible, so I.me already trying new ideas for love these eyes more, so they will not be dry, drained or over-worked, so they can heal themselves.

Today, I give thanks to my father, Morrie I. Thomas, a World War II survivor, for his Veterans Day honor, and to my brother Melvin, and my former husband Damani, for their service too in Vietnam.  All were reluctant to serve, but they did, and when they came back home, they all struggled with post-traumatic stress and endured mental, emotional and substance abuse pain, chasing away the demons.  While my Dad seems to have already been damaged by his Dad, a World War I veterans, and his early abuse was most likely due to his father's behavior towards him,

, I.m. affirming that the cycle of abuse ends with me.  I abused myself, not my sons, and I have to thank my father, whose example I watched which made me really want to behave in a different way from him.   I remember being very careful to choose my words when I talked to my young ones, different from the abuse teasing, taunting and negative word choices of my Dad.  And when my sons grew older, although I did substances, I was extremely careful that I didin't do my harm to myself in front of them, unlike my Dad.  Today, I.m. grateful for the healing that I sought to find the root og my depressive behavior .  I.m. grateful that this search lead me to transformative breath techniques that helped me open up pathways into my sub-conscious  that then started me on a  self discovery journey   as a survivor of my Dad's sexual and emotional assaults..  today, I.m. grateful that this journey has helped me to grow, and help so many others.  I feel certain that I.m. the compassionate, healer today due to this aspect of my life,

Today, I give thanks for this same Dad, who did offer love to me, who did teach me about playing and humour; who did teach me how a man works to take care of his family; and how to hustle as an entrepreneur.  I learned about serving others as I watched him look after his people, as a number's runner, who would go all the way across town to pick up a number or pay someone who had won.  (In those days, we didn't have a state-run lottery, but we did have a under-ground, betting network where Black folk would place their bets  with the hope of winning big..  This was actually an entrepreneur hustle for my Dad as a numbers' runners who would get a commission, as he would pick up the bets and place them and then make the pay offs.  But, my Dad would go further then just place bets - he would take food and clothing to those in need.  He would also transport people who needed a ride for any reason.  There was a lot of kindness I saw in my father, that I will also never forget, so I could never "demonize" my Dad for the other "sicker" behavior that he showed me.  Today, because of this balance, I give thanks for Forgiveness because I I was able to understand that "hurt people hurt people" which today makes me less judgemental. about life, my clients and mainly my relationships.

Today, I want to thank my Native ancestry, which was so much apart of my appreciation of one of my spiritual teachers Antonio Carpenter.  Today, I thank him, as he has left the body and as he travels to his ancestral, heavenly homeland, I am so grateful of his work, in the science of spirituality and his introduction of my work as a breathologist to his spiritual community, very early on in my steps to share this powerful modality to the world.

And of course I have so many teachers, masters and guides to thank, and realize I am grateful to them all, but this other person, I just have to mention here and now.   I.m. am so grateful to Leonard Orr, another spiritual teacher, whose trainings he offered me, in breathwork which were so awesome and life-enhancing.  Leonard Orr left the body about 2 maybe 3 months ago,and I have been remiss in not speaking of his passing, so it's appropriate to do so in this article..  I am so grateful, for his trainings and the chance to have gotten to know him by staying at his ranch in Virginia  His concepts on immortality, and re-birthing breakwork will stay with me forever, and I affirm in all that I share with.  .  He was another remarkable man on a mission, another maverick who lived outside of the box, just like my Dad, and like Antonio.  He was another person who encouraged me to breathe through my pain; to train with the community and to serve humanity, using the "power of the breath.  He was another very special person, who recognized the "specialness in me". and pushed me to push it through, despite the pains it took to do such labor. 
  .  .

 
I am full now, feeling so much gratitude, but more is yet to come this month.

I affirm that I will go into the journey that John and I have been taking, in helping him to heal in 2018-2019, as the second part of this message "I am so grateful".  Stay tuned.