Gratitude Without Denial

After I got home from Everest, nearly everyone I talked to said some version of the same thing: I must be so grateful.

And they were right.

I was grateful to be alive. Grateful to have my vision back. Grateful to walk through my front door and hug my wife and kids.

But that wasn't the whole story.

Even though I was home, I was still trying to process what happened up there. I'd come closer to dying than I wanted to admit, and I didn't really know how to talk about it.

For a while, I thought being grateful meant I shouldn't be struggling. And if I was struggling, maybe I wasn't grateful enough.

So I did what a lot of us do. I focused on the good and kept the rest to myself.

But that isn't gratitude. It's denial with good manners.

Thanksgiving has a way of bringing these things to the surface.

For some, the table looks different this year. Someone is missing. A marriage has ended. A job is gone. A diagnosis has changed everything.

And yet, there's this pressure to put on a smile, count our blessings, and move on.

But that's not what Scripture teaches us.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. Not for all circumstances.

There's a difference.

And when Jesus stood at Lazarus's tomb, He wept. He knew what was coming, and He still wept. There's something important in that.

We can have faith and still hurt. We can be thankful and still struggle. One doesn't cancel out the other.

I've learned that gratitude isn't about pretending the hard things aren't there. It's about recognizing what's good, even when life isn't going the way we hoped.

You don't have to pretend everything is okay to be thankful for what you have.

So as we head into Thanksgiving, I want to leave you with a question.

What are you genuinely grateful for this year, and what have you been quietly carrying alongside it?

Maybe it's grief. Maybe it's disappointment. Maybe it's something you haven't even found the words for yet.

Whatever it is, you don't have to choose between being grateful and being honest.

There's room for both.

And if this season is a hard one for you, feel free to hit reply. I'd be glad to hear from you.

Looking for a meaningful Christmas gift?

With Christmas around the corner, I wanted to share a few of my books. Each one comes from a different place in my life, but they all touch on something I believe deeply: faith, resilience, and finding a way forward when life doesn't go as planned.

Blind Descent — My firsthand account of surviving Everest and making the descent alone after losing my sight.

Calm in the Chaos — Real stories from Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmers who put their lives on the line so others may live.

Bloodline of Redemption — A military thriller built around sacrifice, loyalty, and redemption.

If you're looking for a gift for someone who enjoys adventure, military stories, or a reminder that hope can be found in difficult places, I hope you'll consider one of these.

Coming in 2027 — FORGED

I'm also working on my next book, FORGED, the story of Navy SEAL Chief Kevin A. Houston, who was killed in Afghanistan aboard Extortion 17 on August 6, 2011.

I had the honor of serving with Kevin during my time in the Navy. Years later, I've had the opportunity to spend time with his family and DEVGRU operators to learn more about the man beyond the uniform.

This book is personal. It's about faith, family, sacrifice, and the legacy Kevin left behind. I'm grateful for the opportunity to tell his story and help ensure he isn't forgotten.

FORGED is coming from WaterBrook, a division of Penguin Random House. I'll share more as we get closer to publication.

Brian Dickinson
Author. Speaker. Host of Calm in the Chaos Podcast
briandickinson.net