“I want there to be a place in the world where people can engage in one another’s differences in a way that is redemptive, full of hope and possibility.” ~bell hooks

While we may be practiced at thanking people for something generous they’ve done for us, grateful living invites us to stretch our appreciation to include others’ unique ways of being in the world, even when they may be wildly different from our own. The constellation in which we’re held consists of distinct individuals who shape our lives not only with their actions but with their diverse experiences, identities, and perspectives. How might a relationship in your life be deepened by articulating your appreciation for this person’s unique way of doing and being? How do you imagine it might feel to someone to receive your expression of appreciation for their way, for their gifts?

Activity

Photo by Jana Sabeth/Unsplash

Today’s invitation is to identify and thank one person in your life for the way that they live in the world, with special attention given to appreciating and honoring their particular ways of being. Select from the prompts below to write a note or open a conversation. 

• I’m in awe of the way that you…
• I’ve learned so much from the way that you…
• My way of understanding [a particular issue/idea] has been changed by you…
• I’ve been changed by witnessing how you…
• When I’m struggling with [a particular situation], I’m inspired by thinking of how you…

Reflection

Take time to notice how it feels to express your appreciation for this person’s particular way of being and doing. How does this acknowledgment allow you to see them more fully? How might it shift the way you look at yourself and your own felt differences? How do you imagine it feels to them to be recognized and seen? What does this cherishing allow?

Deepening Resource

When Giving Is All We Have, a poem by Alberto Ríos

Please share your reflections below if you feel moved. We’d love to hear what emerges for you from today’s practice…