Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.

The upheavals of adolescence silenced 'A Christmas Carol' for a few years. I became a firebrand atheist. Christmas - humbug! Too commercial! Then I became an agnostic. Christmas was a pro-forma affair basically a chore. Buy mother a book dad a new tie my brother and sister small gifts. Pretend thanks for the fountain pens and shirts I received.

My favorite toy growing up was Polly Pocket. But one gift that I wanted though never received for Christmas was a pair of trampoline moon shoes. You strap them to your feet and they have springs on them and you can just jump around!

In reality serendipity accounts for one percent of the blessings we receive in life work and love. The other 99 percent is due to our efforts.

Let us touch the dying the poor the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.

As an instrument for practical action law is responsive to the wisdom of its time which may be wrong but it carries forward sometimes in opposition to this wisdom or passion a memory of received values.

I'm someone who's done the opposite of whatever the received wisdom is to keep your career going into your 50s.

It's received wisdom that the English are uniquely child-unfriendly.

We don't receive wisdom we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.

I have never solicited nor received money from Iraq for our campaign against war and sanctions. I have never seen a barrel of oil never owned one never bought one never sold one.