Gratitude Lives Within The Heart

Gratitude is a virtue and it is  seldom seen in society at this time in history. Every type of media infiltrates the human mind with images, words and sounds of violence, hatred, discrimination, and disrespect. The human mind is told it is entitled to everything it sees, touches,or wants, even at the cost of trampling someone else’s needs or rights. Lies are told about others with a straight face. Instead of lifting people up who are struggling, there appears to be a deliberate effort to tear them down. What happened to acceptance of other people who may be different in some way from others in terms of race, creed, color, sexual orientation, and social class? Where can we find  compassion for the poor, the homeless, the unemployed, the disabled, and vets returning from the battlefields scarred in body, mind, and soul? Whatever happened to charity and kindness for the lonely, the poor in spirit, minds broken from abuse, families shattered from divorce, and men and women struggling with emotional problems who are trying to keep themselves alive one day at a time?

There but by the grace of God, it could be me without money, no job in sight, no home to shelter me from the hot sun or freezing rains. It could be me broken in spirit, filled with emotional pain, and without family to support me in a time of need.

Who is willing to step up to the plate and speak for them, fight for them, and give to them?  Society refuses to accept the fact that we are all in this together and we are all struggling to survive. All of us were born naked and helpless into this world and we will all die when our time comes. Whether we survive with the help of others or die alone depends on each one of us. We are bound by the human condition, We are all searching for a way back to God so we can be reunited and become one with the Great Spirit, Elohim, Allah, whatever name  we choose to call what we are yearning to return to. We are the ones who choose to either help or ignore those less fortunate than we are. Whether we want to accept it or not, we are bound by something greater than ourselves.

The meaning of Gratitude is the acknowledgement of receiving a gift from someone and letting that person know what it means to you that time was spent on you. Robert Emmons wrote: ” there are two key components that make up gratitude: one is an affirmation that there are good things in this world; the other, a recognition that the source of this goodness lies outside of yourself. You acknowledge that other people or even a higher power gave you gifts in order to help you enjoy the goodness in your life.” He also said,” Gratitude requires you to see how you’ve been supported and affirmed by other people and it encourages you, not only to appreciate the gifts, but to pay them forward.” We, out of joy, are motivated to give back to others with no expectations being present. We  develop humbleness because we come to recognize we are not entitled to anything. We cannot take other people for granted. We should develop a sense of wonder and a sense of appreciation when these gifts come our way. This does not negate us, this humbleness. Instead it teaches us our proper place in the universe and that God is behind every good and perfect thing.

Yu/stan/kema