Gratitude
“I am fortunate to be alive. I have a precious human life. I am not going to waste it.”
The Dalai Lama
How would you define gratitude?
How would you describe gratitude?
Who in your life do you experience to be a grateful person?
For me, gratitude is appreciating and acknowledging the gifts and challenges in life. Those gifts and challenges might include people, pets, nature, work, health, home, art ….Truly the possibilities are endless. You may be wondering why I also mentioned challenges. I am not encouraging Pollyanna thinking that denies the pain that is present in health or relationship or financial challenges but to go deeper than the pain and consider if there is gift “even in this.”
I remember being with a woman who was nearing the end of her life. Her world literally had gotten small—she barely could leave her bedroom. She asked her family to arrange her bed so she could see the bird feeders outside her window. Visits with her included marveling at bluebirds, cardinals, and the shenanigans of persistent squirrels hoping to snack away at the feeder. Favorite family pictures were placed so that she could easily gaze upon them.
Frequently, when someone walked in the room—a friend, a child, a priest, and especially a grandchild, they were greeted with a joyful, “I’m so glad you’re here. Thank you for coming!” Yes, she expressed pain. Yes, she expressed sadness. Yes, she wanted more time.
And, in her dying, this treasure of a woman taught me how to live.
Lately, I’ve had many opportunities to think about gratitude and discuss the topic with others. These conversations and life experiences have taught me that gratitude is more than emotion—when cultivated as a regular practice, it can become open-hearted stance toward life - one that gives thanks for the wonders and joys in life and even for the difficulties in life and how they hold the possibility of shaping and growing us.
If gratitude is not coming easy for you today, I hope you will not judge yourself or feel guilty. Honoring our feelings is a source of wisdom. And, I would encourage you to make a list right now of ten things for which you are grateful. You may even do this every day for the next seven days—without repeating any of the items previously mentioned.
I am grateful for you and your interest and support in the Threshold Center,
Director
