STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Give thanks—before the stuffed turkey comes out of the oven!

Longtime meditators Mary Ann Chubb and Kristin Fletcher are presenting an evening of guided meditations, poetry readings and other activities as they explore how the simple gesture of gratitude enriches ours and others’ lives.

The evening, dubbed “Giving Thanks—Gratitude in Action” will start at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 at Hailey’s Town Center West across from the Hailey Public Library, which is hosting the free event.

“In today’s hectic world, it’s important to take time out for quiet reflective activities,” said Fletcher. “Gratitude is a simple and profound practice that we can do throughout each day. It asks us to appreciate big, important things like friends, family and a roof over our heads, as well as small things like birdsong, the sparkle of morning frost or a single autumn leaf that we might pass by without notice.”

Added Chubb: “Gratitude is a practice of opening the heart and including all beings in our circle of care. It softens our boundaries and helps us to see that we a part of a great interconnected web suffused with love and compassion.”