I have often found that people going through the worst of times are often the most grateful. That seems counter-intuitive, but like most things, gratitude is easier to feel when you’ve overcome hardships to arrive at a place where you can be grateful, maybe not for what you endured, but for those who were with you while you had to endure it. It’s easier to be grateful when you have the perspective of what it means to lean on others even if it was hard to do, or ask for help even if you didn’t want to, because those moments humble us. They make us realize that we all need a little help to make it through, no matter how strong, rich, weak, or poor we might be.
In a world that can really suck sometimes, the idea of an entire day devoted to being grateful is a true gift. Not just because we should stop and take time to be thankful for what we have, but because gratitude is a gateway to happiness. It is a foundation for a life less about being mired in the bad times and more about celebrating those things that lift us up, give us hope, and help make us whole.
Gratitude isn’t always easy. Sometimes we have to look incredibly hard to find that glimmer. But it’s always there. Maybe in a kind word from a friend, or a hug from a child, or a simple text from a coworker. Maybe it’s nothing spectacular at all. Maybe it’s receiving a gift you never expected. Or mourning a loved one while remembering all the joy they brought to your life. Opportunities for gratitude are around us everyday, in ways big and small. Opening our eyes to them is sometimes the hard part. But there is nothing more rewarding than that feeling of being grateful in the face of good times and bad, not just because it’s Thanksgiving, but because when we make gratitude a way of life, we will find more moments for which to be truly grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!!
Elizabeth Banak Books 