Living from Gratitude

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

~ Melody Beattie

We had the incredible privilege to be visited yesterday by some old friends (more like family), whom we have not seen in at least 5 years . It wasn't distance that kept us apart, nor time or anything else really, but merely life changes and moving on in one way or another. It seems that as we go through life we can sometimes forget some people and the reasons why they have become a part of our lives. It becomes easy to dismiss their presence and say, "now worries, there is always tomorrow." My visitors were family friends as I grew up and I didn't particularly get along with them from time to time as my drive for freedom superseded my inclination to listen to them and their ways. They never missed an opportunity to remind me of the better ways in life, the options that I was in too much of a hurry to notice, or the dangerous paths I may have been taking. Looking back as a wiser man, with seven children of my own, I can see that they only ever wanted the very best for me, and they still do. Last night, sitting on the deck watching the sun set with them, my mother, my wife and  youngest children, I experienced a moment that I shall not forget, perhaps for the rest of my life. 

In that moment I realized that nothing in the past mattered. It didn't matter what they thought of me when I was younger, who said what, or what boundaries were crossed, or any right and wrongs. At that moment it was an incredible blessing to have them around. At one point my "uncle" gave me a big hug and a some very fatherly words of encouragement. In that moment I felt great joy and gratitude yet my heart broke as well.

1. You see my father had passed away several years ago and this moment felt very much like so many that I have had with him in the past.
2. Secondly, my "uncle" was not on speaking terms with his son, and I knew in that moment how deeply he longed for his son.

I thought to myself, I would give anything to have the chance for one moment to have my mother and father together and sitting on my deck eating dinner with my wife and children, enjoying the warm spring air. A moment that I never had and never will. But my heart was filled with gratitude, for having that moment anyway. for with that moment came a great blessing and understanding of the precious necessity of being grateful for the family and friends that we have. Seeing that through the eyes of Gratitude, Joy, Appreciation and Love make far more sense than on their own. Life is far too short to spend in disputes over this and that thing. Getting caught up in the minutia is a sure path to disappointment and endless dismay.

Who in your life could use a phone call from you?

What bridges do you need to rebuild?

Whose heart needs to be mended? His? Hers? Theirs?                 Your own?

Take what Melody Beattie said to heart: "...Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."

 

"Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life-changing."~ Zig Ziglar