July 19, 2026

The Joy Of Living

When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

Tecumseh was a Shawnee leader born around 1768 who spent his life resisting the loss of Native land to American settlers and building a confederacy to stand against it. This saying, often called Tecumseh's Prayer, was passed down through oral tradition and written down decades after his death in 1813 at the Battle of the Thames. It asks the listener to greet each morning by naming what is already present, the light, the food, the breath, instead of waiting for something more to arrive. In a world that measures mornings by what is missing, this call to give thanks for what is already here is a quiet argument for simplicity.