In the aftermath of our recent election, my meditation teacher shared a Zen parable that has been echoing in my mind:
A woman is running away from a tiger. She runs and runs, but the tiger gains on her. At the edge of a cliff, she finds a vine and climbs down. Below her, she sees another tiger waiting. To make matters worse, a mouse begins gnawing at the vine. As she hangs there, suspended between danger above and danger below, she notices a small clump of strawberries growing nearby. She picks one, tastes it, and savors it completely.
When I first heard this story, I could only see myself as the woman, caught between two tigers. The tiger above represented the overwhelming fear and frustration I felt in the aftermath of the election. The tiger below was the uncertainty of what lay ahead. And the mouse chewing at the vine? Time, inevitably marching forward.
Gratitude — the strawberry in this parable — seemed like an obnoxious suggestion. How could I stop to savor anything while the tigers loomed so close? Wasn’t it my responsibility to focus on them, to strategize, to fight? But as my meditation teacher gently reminded me, my responsibility is to the present. By ignoring the strawberries, I abrogate my purpose — to stay present in the now.
This is the paradox of gratitude: it can feel frivolous, ridiculous even, in troubled times, yet it’s one of the most profound acts of resilience we can practice.
Turning to the Tarot & the Four of Swords
There are several cards that could have volunteered for this post- the Three of Swords, the Six of Pentacles, The Tower, Strength.
Honestly, any one of the 78 Tarot keys can support us when we are trapped between tigers, because whenever we pause and check in with the Tarot, we’re giving ourselves the grace to be in conversation with Spirit; but I want to work specifically with the Four of Swords today.
The suit of Swords represents our minds, and the Fours of the tarot are all about structure.
In the Four of Swords we see a figure lying peacefully in a church or sanctuary with three swords hanging above their head, and a fourth sword lies horizontally below.
The three swords above represent the tigers, our fears and anxieties. The fourth sword represents our higher consciousness, the self that can observe without judgement.
At its core, the card is a profound call to be fully present in the Now — a state of awareness that allows us to find peace, presence, and gratitude (the strawberries) amidst the tigers of life.
Structuring Space for Gratitude
Gratitude and presence in the Now go hand in hand. They invites us to let go of fear and the illusion of control. In the Now, we can appreciate the moment we’re in, rather than resisting it.
Instead of asking what’s next? or why me?, we ask: what can I be grateful for right now?
Gratitude in the Now does not require perfect circumstances.
“Things do not really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.” — Pema Chödrön
The swords in the card may seem threatening, but they also frame the figure’s sanctuary, much like the tigers and the vine frame the woman’s precarious perch.
Peace isn’t found in the absence of difficulty — it’s cultivated from within it.
Gratitude in Practice: The Four of Swords
It’s easy to get lost in fear of the future and stories from the past, but we can always bring our awareness back to the Now.
The next time you notice that you are focused on the tigers, or those three vertical swords, use that fourth sword to structure your thoughts back into the now. That is where you will find your strawberries.
Pause: Step away from distractions and create a moment of quiet.
Reflect: Focus on what is present in this moment, whether it’s a feeling, a breath, or a comforting detail in your surroundings.
Acknowledge: Notice and name something to be grateful for, even if it’s small — a warm cup of tea, a kind word, or the stillness itself.
Rest in Gratitude: Allow the feeling of gratitude to fill you, anchoring you in the present.
Thanksgiving is all about creating a structure for gratitude and appreciation. Here are some additional ideas to help you practice year-round:
Offering Grace Before a Meal: This doesn’t need to be in the form of a prayer. Simply take a moment before you eat to feel gratitude for the food that will nourish you, and all the hands that brought it to your table.
Make a Gratitude List: Writing down the things you feel grateful for has a scientifically proven link to improving your well being.
You don’t need anything more than a pen and paper to make a gratitude list, but if you want to make a practice of gratitude listing, it will help to have a dedicated journal. I love this One Line a Day journal or this gratitude journal. These also make great gifts.
Send a note: Thank-you notes not only demonstrate your good manners, they also help you experience more gratitude. I know that whenever I write a thank-you note, I catch myself smiling. You don’t need to receive a gift to write a thank-you note to someone you love.
Whatever kind of note you send will be appreciated, but I especially cherish the watercolor note card (pictured) that I received from a friend.
Water Color Thank-You Note from a Friend of the Author’s Share Your Strawberries: When you find a strawberry in your day, snap a photo and send it to a friend. This could be a fun IG video, a cute puppy at the park, a beautiful sunset. When you pause to notice the strawberries, you are in the Now. When you share your delight with someone else, you multiply that joy.
Thank Yourself: Not all of the metaphorical tigers and swords are global disasters. Our to-do lists and the digital devices that claw for our attention are more than enough to rob us of our peace and rest.
We know that checking our email right before bed will not make us more productive, but we do it anyways. Instead, ask the you that is scrolling in bed to show kindness to future-you by turning off the screens and falling asleep. When you wake up feeling rested, give a word of thanks to bedtime you for those restful actions
Gratitude for Resilience and Connectivity
I’ll leave you with one more story from my life between the tigers…
As I processed my grief in the days after the election, I felt alone in my despair. Plenty of people in my community were upset by the results, but I was overwhelmed by more than just politics.
The global community of scientists agree that if we don’t make our carbon emission reduction goals by 2030, 1/3 of life on Earth will be lost forever to extinction by 2050.
Contemplating the scale of this destruction left me inconsolable. People who love me told me it would be okay. They didn’t help. I wanted someone to feel this grief with me.
I shared my sadness and grief with my dog Pandora’s vet while she lovingly gave Pandora acupuncture to treat her back pain.
I finally got what I thought I wanted. I watched what it looked like to bring someone else into my tiger-sandwiched cliff.
I felt so much worse.
To be certain, many things will be destroyed that cannot be repaired. There is no virtue in minimizing the real damage that will come from investing in coal, oil, incarceration, and more.
But despair is not the whole truth. There are strawberries.
By focusing only on the tigers, I failed to enjoy the strawberries of my vet’s kindness to me Pandora. I missed seeing the relief that the acupuncture brought her.
Worst of all, I selfishly robbed my kind vet of the strawberries she was holding.
The woman in the parable didn’t taste the strawberry because she’d given up on her predicament. She tasted it because the act of savoring it was her only freedom in that moment. She chose not to let fear and helplessness consume her entirely.
When we use that fourth sword to pause and notice the good, we replenish our emotional and mental reserves. Gratitude grounds us in the present, where our power to act resides.
As we come together this Thanksgiving, no matter our differences, we can rejoice that we have each other.
When we choose to find gratitude in the now, we are choosing to support ourselves and each other.
Gratitude doesn’t distract us from our responsibilities — it fuels them.
It reminds us what we’re fighting for and helps us approach our challenges with clarity and courage instead of despair.
I am thankful for every one of you in this community and I will continue to support the world in all the ways I know how. I want to be the light, and when I do this work, I am my best self.
Thank you for allowing me to show up as the person I most want to be.
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