In the United States, we just celebrated the
"Thanksgiving" holiday. Many other countries have their
own versions of "Thanksgiving." But thanksgiving is
not something that should be celebrated on one
particular day of the year. It is good that a day has
been chosen for this, but it is up to each and every
one of us to be "giving thanks" all year long.
Sometimes we look around at our financial situation and
think that there is nothing to be thankful for. Other
times we glance at our relationship or health
challenges and think that giving thanks borders on the
absurd. Yet, if we look around us, we can see that we
are not alone in our trials, that many others are
having to face similar problems.
Being thankful for life itself is a way of making life
better. When we look away from our problems, even for a
short time, and generate joy in our hearts, we find
that the world seems to change a bit. I do not know why
this is so and I don't really need to know. All I know
is that the universe seems to respond quickly to a
grateful heart.
A grateful heart is, perhaps, a heart full of
"greatness." Maybe, the way it works is that when we
break focus with our problems and we take a break from
being miserable, the River of Life flows more gently
and more fully through our being.
Try it for yourself sometime. Stop what you're doing
for one or two minutes and quiet your mind. If you're
really frightened by appearances around you or if your
problems seem insurmountable, you may find that
stilling your mind becomes a very difficult task. But
with a little practice, a minute or two at a time, it
becomes easier to do.
During this minute or two, think of two or three things
or events you are or should be grateful for. Feel how
fortunate you are to have them. For example, I consider
myself extremely blessed to have had my two children,
Malika and Jonathan, grow up the way they have. True,
there were times when I considered running away from
home. And yes, there were moments of anxiety and
concern when I thought to myself that children were
created for the sole purpose of inflicting insanity on
their parents. But don't most of us feel that way once
in a while?
Yet, with all the ups and downs of being a parent, I
consider myself the most fortunate person on earth to
have Malika and Jonathan as my children. They have
taught me patience, unconditional love and much more
than I can ever list here. I have learned from them. I
could not be who I am without the experience of being
their father. And for this, I'm grateful. I give
thanks.
How about unfortunate situations. Am I happy or
grateful that my wife died when she was only in her
thirties? Should I be thankful that I was left with two
young children to raise and an entire life to
reorganize? Of course not! But I am grateful that she
was my wife for the years we spent together. She was
only nineteen when we were married. I am grateful for
her love, for her kindness and compassion and for
making it possible for me to be what I am today.
We could all turn tragedy into triumph and disaster
into divine outcomes if we maintain a spirit of
gratitude and if we listen to our heart and soul. It is
in our quiet times, in our "thanksgiving" moments that
we can hear the universe sing to us. If we listen
carefully, we can hear it say, "You are my child and I
love you dearly. Look around you. All that I have is
yours. Everything is yours. It always has been. Please
unwrap your gifts."
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