Gracias a La Vida – Giving Thanks
Gracias a La Vida….Que me ha dado tanto
Mercedes Sosa, legendary folk singer from Argentina (and mother of one), died this week at age 74. Her voice was one of immense power and conviction, and she used her gift of song through a lifetime of working towards social justice. Her most famous song, perhaps, is Gracias a La Vida, and when you hear her voice carry these words, you cannot helpful but feel gratitude.
Gracias a La Vida – Thank You to Life. Ok, it doesn’t sound nearly as good in english, and a translation here simply will not do justice to the beauty of this song. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, the power of her voice will carry you. At the core is a deep thankfulness for the beauty of our being in the world.
In honour of Mercedes, and in honour of the beauty of your own life, we encourage you to live this day (and this lifetime!) in gratitude.
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What are you thankful for today?
Thanks for opening my eyes to the power of her singing. Beautiful in every way.
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I am thankful for you posting this because I am moved by her voice and passion. I am also thankful that about 3 months ago to help my 3 1/2 year old son settle down for supper we started a little gratitude ritual. We light a candle, bless our meal and then go around and say what we are thankful for. Often my son says the same thing “The planets, and everything in the whole world, and the stars…etc”. We even ask our 18 month old what she is thankful for and mostly she smiles at us and sometimes… she says “pasta”. There are some days when I don’t feel thankful for anything because i am worn out but doing this always makes me find the joy in my day, or in the world or in my family. I am thankful for this special tradition we have started.
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Thanks for the post and the video. A quick comment though: Mercedes Sosa did not write “Gracias a la vida”. This song is by Violeta Parra, a chilean singer songwriter who died in 1967.
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¡Pues SÍ!
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