Oftentimes, when families gather at Thanksgiving, there is a tradition of someone popping the question “what are you thankful for?” The usual responses are
- Family
- Health
- Job
No doubts, these are very meaningful answers. Last year, I paused for a moment and asked myself “beyond the obvious, what am I thankful for?”
- Clean drinking water
- Nutritious food
- Washer
- Dryer
- Heat in the winter
- Air conditioning in the summer
- Internet
The list seemed endless.
My kids tend to wear a frown when they don’t get ‘Dino’ chicken nuggets. These days, my wife and I tell them that there are millions of kids in this world who will never know what a chicken nugget is. When they ask ‘why’, we seize the opportunity to explain.
Intentionally or unintentionally, there is a sense of entitlement that has crept into our lifestyle. The chase for more seems to be perpetual.
None of us got to choose whom we would be born to or where. Living in surroundings that offer access to more must not make us numb to the needs around us. To remain grateful, we must intentionally and constantly evaluate all that we have. Gratitude must become a lifestyle and not a thought that pops into our minds occasionally.
What we consider basic is someone else’s luxury. A dream. Many will never know our ‘basics’ even exist.
A challenge to all of us is not to fall prey to ‘conditional gratitude’.
“If I have…
If I was…”
Consider replacing these with
“I have… and so, I am grateful.
I am… and so, I am grateful.”
For certain, the options to fill in the above blanks are many.
This Thanksgiving, count your blessings and name them one by one.
