GRATITUDE An essay by Maggie Stevens Some may think of thank you as transactional.
Someone does something for you and thanks is the automatic response.
But what if instead it was philosophical?
The lens through which one sees the world.
I open my eyes to a new day.
Thank you.
The sun rise painted the sky pink and purple.
Thank you.
I taste my morning coffee.
Thank you.
I hear the laughter of children.
Thank you.
I walk among the trees.
Thank you.
I've been thinking a lot about gratitude because I have so much to be thankful for.
A year ago,
I finished chemotherapy for lymphoma.
A year that passed in the blink of an eye.
I'm grateful for my medical team that keeps watch over me.
I'm thankful to my friends who support me with notes and pictures of their children,
Grands,
And pets which brought smiles to my face.
I'm thankful for my family for being with me every step of the way.
And grateful to a husband who's been a compassionate caregiver to an often recalcitrant patient.
Gratitude is a gentle emotion that isn't dependent on causes or conditions.
Gratitude is the appreciation of enoughness.
Sometimes it bubbles up like water from a spring.
Sometimes it oozes from us like honey from the honeycomb.
Luckily for us,
Gratitude can be developed.
If we slow down enough to notice,
Our senses will bring countless blessings to our attention and open us up to the world.
We can be thankful for small things like the smell of rain or walking a pet.
We can be grateful to people who have loved us,
Mentored us,
Lifted us up,
And cared for us.
We can be thankful to groups of people we don't know individually.
In this time,
We can be grateful to health care professionals,
Delivery drivers,
Grocery store staff,
Teachers,
First responders,
And all those people who provide for us.
We can wonder at our interconnection.
The meal on our table is connected to the farmer who grew it,
The factory worker who packaged it,
The truck driver who delivered it,
The grocery clerks who shelved and bagged it,
And even the people in our homes who cooked it,
Including ourselves.
We can be grateful to each other.
Gratitude is a habit that can be fostered.
When you wake up or go to sleep,
You can think of just three things to give thanks for.
You can keep a gratitude journal or share on social media those things for which you're grateful.
It's as easy as saying the words quietly to yourself,
Thank you.
I'm so grateful.
I'm so appreciative.
Meister Eckhart said,
If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you,
It will be enough.
Thank you.
I'm grateful to you for listening to this talk.
If you're interested in other talks,
You can follow Maggie Stevens on Insight Timer.
Thanks again.
