As I sit and begin to drink my first cup of tea in the morning, I contemplate first the tea itself, which is organically grown: I am thankful to the growers, to those who picked it, those who processed it, those who transported it, those who put it on the supermarket shelf. Then also I am thankful for the soil it grew in, and how many eons it may have taken to make that soil. Then for the water required, and its recycling since the beginning of water on this planet.
I am thankful for the tank water I used to make this tea, and all that it took to get that water to me; the tank to hold it, the filters I use, and all who were involved in the making of the tank and the filters, and getting them to my place.
I am thankful for the milk in my tea, the cows who gave their milk, the farmers who cared for the cows and milked them, the grass in the fields where they grazed, the people who transported the milk to the factory, the trucks/vehicles that they used, the people working in the factory, those who transported the milk to the supermarket, and those who put it in the fridge there, for the fridges themselves and all that is required for them, their production, upkeep, and energy.
Then I often have an egg as well, which comes from a local market. I am thankful to the old couple who feed and care for the hens, and collect their eggs. I am thankful for their effort in getting to the market, the upkeep of their vehicle, and setting up.
There is also usually a cracker of some kind, some red onion, some tahini or peanut butter, sometimes fetta cheese, Vegemite (an Australian thing), organic pepper, and Celtic sea salt. I do the same contemplation for each of these. There is also the cup itself, and the plate.
It turns out that each of these items, each of the foods or drink that I am consuming is seamlessly connected to everything else, and that connection/thread does all the way back, in countless interactions, including chemical ones, more than can be named here; through the eons, to the unfolding of Earth herself, then to the unfolding of our galaxy, and the Origins of all.
When we consume anything, we consume a whole universe. I first heard that said by cosmologist Brian Swimme some decades ago, and it was revelatory for me. I still ponder it as I am sustained each day. We may graciously receive Her daily abundance – given by so many, part of the whole web, all these present, in my company, in every meal. I may be thankful for them, and wish them grace also.