Gratitude 1: Thank the People We Know

Recently, a spirituality lesson on Gratitude suggested practicing "saying thank you for happy and challenging experiences, for people, animals, things, art, memories and dreams." It advocates that we "express appreciation to everything and everyone [we] encounter. By blessing, we are blessed." Practically, it proposes that we set up a schedule to focus on a topic for gratitude. My husband and I have posted on our calendar a Gratitude Focus topic each month so we can actually act on it.

This month's Gratitude Focus topic is to thank the people we know - our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, boss(es), etc. Notice that the lesson includes "challenging experiences" or, in this case, relationships. We all have people we know - bosses, co-workers, neighbors, teachers, family members - that test our beliefs and our patience. Certainly, there's SOMETHING that inspires gratitude!

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or

rejoice because thorns have roses.”

― Alphonse Karr, A Tour Round My Garden

I've been thinking about the people I know lately - mostly because of the Stay-at-Home order. I've wondered about how they're faring and how the mental aspects of this order are actually harder than the physical. For this reason, I've listed the people I know and have included a Contact task to contact a couple people each day. I'm very surprised that this list is quite long since I'm somewhat anti-social but, as I tell people, I do care. I just have a hard time showing it consistently.

What was most difficult was to include people that I don't like. That list was very, very small and, right now, these people are at the end of the list because I'm wavering about contacting them. How do you say "I am grateful that you and my brother birthed wonderful children" without saying "but you abandoned them all"? I have to work on that. Maybe I will be grateful internally - thankful of the lessons they've taught me without actually thanking them. Does that count?

I think about how my life is blessed by actions people took - good and bad. When I was almost fired for being one of the worst waitresses, I learned that I had to take responsibility. When I was heckled for my ethnicity, I learned to empathize. These children didn't grow up in an inclusive environment at home. Later, when I was told that I had beautiful, slanted eyes, I loved the Asian in me. When I failed a class, I learned that I had to buckle down and ask for help; and when I aced the next class, I realized that hard work paid off.

If you know me, you'll be contacted. I am truly thankful for the people I know.