Gratitude…For Real.
"Love wholeheartedly, be surprised, give thanks...then you will discover the fullness of your life.”
Episode 75.
It was the summer of 1999. Yes, still the 90's. I was studying for the GREs. I spent way more time with diligent attention to my GRE prep workbook than most senior-bound college kids. But, that was my jam. The vocab words. Allll the vocab words. One in particular, I recall saying out loud multiple times, pronouncing it differently, never having actually heard it spoken aloud by any human. Hackneyed.
"Hack-need. Hack-nide. Hack-e-nide." Pondering and then laughing at myself, I stayed sprawled on my beach towel on my postage-square lawn in front of my off-campus house, memorizing words, back in 1999.
So, this word, meaning trite; trite meaning cliched, or overused; has always stuck in my brain. It likely was not on the actual GRE, so I wasn't able to get a gold star in that domain. So, I will use it here... Gratitude- full honesty and authentic truth here- I have for a long time felt the word and sentiment of gratitude was overused- hackenyed. I even hesitated/ cringed/ avoided using the word gratitude, lest be lumped into the preaching of "holier than thou"/ "grateful for everything, even the mosquitoes and annoying coworkers and traffic jams".... BUT... I have completely shifted my notion of the word gratitude as hackneyed, to encompass a real appreciation and true embrace of the important moments and opportunities that can easily be taken for granted... every single sunrise (even if hidden by clouds), loyalty and connection of family, generosity of community, abundance of nature's majesty... simple acts... bending to pick up a piece of sea glass from the sand, a moment to pause and look into someone's eyes, a captivating book, a song lyric, that first sip of wine, that last swirl of coffee, the anticipated hello on the other end of the phone.... Gratitude is not necessarily an overused sentiment, but a depth of embracing life and truly knowing the enormity of the miracles that abound us daily.
So... not hackneyed...
Capital G- Gratitude.
Because, we are all dealing with stuff.
We are all burdened by worry.
We are all connected.
We are all just walking each other home.
And with that,
We are all warriors.
We are all love.
We are all doing hard things.
And there is an overwhelming, immense Gratitude for all that we have, all that we do, all that connects us, all that paves the path on our journey.
In every step of this journey, we can stop for a moment of gratitude. Not the hackneyed, overused Hallmark card gratitude, but the goosebump-giving, inspiring, vivacious, capital G- Gratitude.
My mom's clinical trial. The infusion needle that sits gently in her body and delivers the most priceless of medicine to target the specific cells that need to be summoned to rest. My mom's strength and tenacity and sense of humor that has kept us all tied together and all in positive spirits through each trying moment. My mom's grace and beauty as she continues to be my rock. My mom's confidence and powerful vulnerability as she allows me to be a rock for her. The resilience of my family. The affection of my friends. The devotion of our community.
Gratitude.
As March clears the winter snow, my mom turns 70, we celebrate the life of my beloved cousin, the days get longer, the sun shines brighter... and we truly have Gratitude for all the moments to know that we can do hard things.
And never, ever, did I imagine, in 1999, on a beach towel in the sun with my well-worn GRE prep-book, that I would be writing about Gratitude and the word hackneyed. (You know you are saying it out loud now!) ...
Smile and be Light.
With Love,
Jess
"This a wonderful day. I've never seen this one before." -Maya Angelou
"Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude." -A.A. Milne"Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet." - Thich Nhat Hanh
“Learn to love, enjoy and embrace what you have in the here and now. That’s all you really need to be happy.” - Thich Nhat Hanh
"I find hope in the darkest of days and focus on the brightest. I do not judge the Universe." -Dalai Lama
Do it all with Love. Nothing is promised. But everything is workable.
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