Gratitude

Written by Jennifer Azubuike

“Open your package,” Buck’s mother urged him as he sat, surrounded by excited family members. Buck worked through the package, anxious and excited. Finally, he pulled away the last sheet of wrap paper to uncover a miniature model of a motorcycle he always admired. 

“Thank you, Mom!” The 13-year-old boy momentarily looked up at his mother, smiling and admiring the toy in his hand. He looked somewhat unsure about the palpable excitement in the room, but he was genuinely thankful that his family paid attention to his interests. He liked motorcycles, and maybe too often talked about them. While he admired his toy, his elder brother worked quietly behind him to start a life-size motorcycle. Buck jerked to his feet and swung around when he heard the machine’s engine roar to life, and instantly started crying when it hit him: it was his! His toy was a preamble to the real thing. 

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Gratitude is a feeling anyone can experience at any moment, often as a result of an action done to them or a compliment received. You might be familiar with phrases like “thank you” or “I appreciate,” to express gratitude. Some people also write these words on cards or act in return to show their appreciation. 

Gratitude as a mindset is a form of disposition—a state of constant thankfulness for life, blessings, gifts, and so on. When this attitude remains constant, it becomes a trait. 

Grateful people tend to live healthier lives, psychologically. Living a thankful life might come from having low expectations of others, so that any benefit they give impresses us deeply or might come from contendtedness. Either way, gratitude is both attractive and contagious, and exists right next to humility. 

Indeed, every parent loves their child, but no parent is excited about an ungrateful child, just as you will always find a parent endeared to a grateful one. This parent-child relationship is an illustration, but the aura is magnetic and applies to other relationships. 

One thing I love about the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States is that it falls late in the year, giving us plenty of things to reflect on. With Thanksgiving approaching this year, I hope we will take the chance to truly reflect on the year, highlight the blessings, celebrate the scars, and give thanks from the bottom of our hearts both to God and the people we should thank. 

What are you thankful for?

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