"I like spring, but it is too young. I like summer, but it is too proud. So I like best of all autumn, because its leaves are a little yellow, its tone mellower, its colours richer, and it is tinged a little with sorrow and a premonition of death. Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, nor of the power of summer, but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom of approaching age. It knows the limitations of life and is content. From a knowledge of those limitations and its richness of experience emerges a symphony of colours, richer than all, its green speaking of life and strength, its orange speaking of golden content and its purple of resignation and death."

I know no Modern Elder role model who exemplifies gratitude more than 95-year-old Brother David Steindl-Rast who taught me that becoming more curious would make me more wise as I got older. In celebration of Thanksgiving, I offer you this lovely 5-minute video from Brother David called “A Grateful Day.”

And, I ask you, “Who is your modern elder? From whom are you going to enjoy the fruits of wisdom?”