Keep it Real Wednesday
November 27, 2019
Gratitude
We are all flooded with reminders to be grateful and thankful this time of year but what does it really mean?
At breakfast this morning I decided to ponder the topic of gratitude with Rosemary and see where the conversation led us. What I heard from my Mother was something I was not prepared for at all.
I asked her “What are you grateful for”? She turned to look at me and said, “What I am grateful for has nothing to do with me, I am grateful for the things others receive”.
Wow… I didn’t expect that…
I asked her to explain.
She said “For example, when I was a teenager in WW2 there was a shortage of butter and it was rationed. When someone was getting married or having a special occasion, they would put a note in the paper to let everyone know they had a special need for butter. Friends, neighbors and strangers would then set aside a little bit of their own butter ration for the person who needed it”. She went on to say, “We were grateful that the person who needed the butter was actually able to receive the butter”.
She then asked me “When did gratitude become about us, and not about others? I didn’t have an answer….
So, today Rosemary challenges you to consider expressing your gratitude for what others are receiving. Make a mental note of what that might look like.
I am starting my own list….it could be a long one.
Thank you, Mom, I am grateful you shared your wisdom
