See our Privacy Policy
Gratefulness
Amo Ergo Sum — that’s the hope.
I suppose I’m living the miracles of my great-grandparents imaginings. I drove to work today; 27 miles in less than an hour. 100 years ago traveling 27 miles would take a day and on this day I’ll make that 27 mile trek twice: to work and to home.
I suppose there are other miracles around me that I’m just not particularly perceptive of.
My family. My wife in particular; she found a discarded bike, fixed it herself, and this week for the first time we were all able to go on family bike rides (wife, seven year old daughter, four year old son, and myself). Joy seems to be a companion of gratitude and from the joy experienced, viewed, or shared, I was (and am) most grateful.
The practice or ritual that has been most consistent: Sunday Mass.
Some rituals and practces are not as consistnet as that, but a close second is also Saturday mornings. I joke that as tough as the last week may have been, as I clean my coffee maker every Saturday morning (after I’ve drunk the days coffee) I’m engaging in a hope-filled action — a future affirming action — by going through the ritual of cleaning the coffee maker as it prepares the way for another seven ...
Some rituals and practces are not as consistnet as that, but a close second is also Saturday mornings. I joke that as tough as the last week may have been, as I clean my coffee maker every Saturday morning (after I’ve drunk the days coffee) I’m engaging in a hope-filled action — a future affirming action — by going through the ritual of cleaning the coffee maker as it prepares the way for another seven days coffee; a preperation for another seven mornings.
Embarrassing as it is vulnerable… whether it’s my natural disposition, the affects of two-plus-years of the pandemic, or simply my station in life (thirties, two young kids, wife, and a mortgage) or any combination thereof I hate to say it but I’ve recently realized what I want to learn more of is whatever will ensure the wellbing of my family. That is, I’ve switched from wanting to learn more about that which inspires and fascinates or feed and satiates curiosity and ...
Embarrassing as it is vulnerable… whether it’s my natural disposition, the affects of two-plus-years of the pandemic, or simply my station in life (thirties, two young kids, wife, and a mortgage) or any combination thereof I hate to say it but I’ve recently realized what I want to learn more of is whatever will ensure the wellbing of my family. That is, I’ve switched from wanting to learn more about that which inspires and fascinates or feed and satiates curiosity and self-actualization to prioritizing the learning of professional skills and abilities. Feels disappointing, but it remains accurate.
I’m not so sure. The things I am most grateful for are not things at all, but people (such as my family). I do not think gratefulness has mitigated my fear or made me less fearful for them, especially in a pandemic. But I may not be as grateful as I ought!
That I have choices, and that I can make choices that improve upon yesterday; I am appreciative of that.
That it be inhabited by those who strive to love, serve, and remember.
Being “thankful” appears to require an acknowledgement.
One might state they are thankful to the person they are thankful, or state their thankfulness publicly in front of others; one might state what they are doing or going to do is because or on behalf of a person or that persons mission/passion (and they wish to further that paved path). Perhaps in the silence of prayer one acknowledges to God the persons.
There are more ways than acknowledgement but I think tha...
There are more ways than acknowledgement but I think that’s a core aspect of thanking someone, especially someone who has paved your way.
Trying to see things from the perspective of my almost-seven-year-old. I have a (bad) habit of viewing and speaking (and expectations) to/of her like a mini-adult. She’s intelligent and precocious but a young child nonetheless. So, I’m trying to see things from her perspective so that I better understand and get less frustrated and can correct my expectations.
Can a paradox be a feeling? Often when I feel love to the world it’s because I am “close” to something: a person, a beautiful garden/tree/river, and then the sense of love wells up, and the experience is that all other thoughts, feelings, objects are moved “far” from my conscienceless. The experience is a pleasant and unsolicited singular focus on that which is causing the experience of love in this world.
How exactly does that take shape? Not sure how to...
How exactly does that take shape? Not sure how to tackle that question until I have another cup of coffee…
Lewis Carroll said it best, as the words on the page I read scream, “You don’t know much and that’s a fact.”
‘Joys and sorrows mingled, one succeeding the other.’ – Catherine McAuley
It seems that when I envelope myself in the world’s turmoil, and get tunnel vision, seeing only the turmoil and feeling only the strife or sorrow, joy is reintroduced to my line of sight by someone else: a joke, a song, someone walking by me with a smile on their face. That’s relatable joy.
I am stubborn. I have learned that… and with some regularity (usually through a hard lesson) I re-learn that.
In the morning, as I leave for work, I tell my six year old, “What are we going to do today?” And thanks to wrote memorization she responds, “Listen, learn lots, and do good great.”
At bed time, I ask her, “Now, did we listen; did we learn lots; what did we do that was great?”
It’s not explicit, but usually there’s an act or a story recounted that was predicated on gratefulness or conversely an act or a story where listening, lear...
It’s not explicit, but usually there’s an act or a story recounted that was predicated on gratefulness or conversely an act or a story where listening, learning, or doing good great didn’t happen and one can draw the conclusion that those instances lacked gratitude.
Additionally, the first question at our call-and-response bed time prayers with my daughter is this, “Did you have a good day?”
If she responds, “yes,” I then say, “what do you say to God?” She responds, “Thank you.”
If she responds, “no,” I then say, “what do you say to God?” She responds, “Thank you.”
Some days a terrible awful and no good in whole or in part but at the end of each day as I pray with my daughter we together remind ourselves to be grateful for each day regardless of it’s joys or sorrows mingled.
As someone who seeks abundance (both in a spiritual sense, but yes also in the more problematic capitalistic sense) sufficiency is hard to identify because when you’re seeking abundance, most everything measures up to insufficient.
I tell my daughter when she’s pouring out ranch dressing, “that’s sufficient.” It has become somewhat of an inside joke because I say it so often. “Dad said sufficient!” And then her little brother chimes in, “...
I tell my daughter when she’s pouring out ranch dressing, “that’s sufficient.” It has become somewhat of an inside joke because I say it so often. “Dad said sufficient!” And then her little brother chimes in, “Sufficient, sufficient!”
So, beyond a sufficient supply of ranch dressings, I would say my family is sufficient as is their love, humor, and compassion.
I suppose it would be less me, less victimhood of me, and more others and what I ought to do to help, ease, or end the difficulties of others.
Community and the theorizing, discussing, planning, and perhaps even building of community.
Stay connected to the community by adding people to your list.
This site is brought to you by A Network for Grateful Living, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are fully tax deductible in the U.S.A.
© 2000 - 2022, A Network for Grateful Living
Website by Briteweb