Why is Gratitude So Important!
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“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” ~ Mary Davis When I was a Kindergarten teacher in a Waldorf school, we would express our gratitude for the food we eat through our mealtime blessings - ‘Blessings on the leaves, blessings on the roots, blessings on the leaves and stems, Blessings on the fruits.” “Earth who gives to us this food Sun who makes it ripe and good. Dear Sun, dear Earth by you we live, Our loving thanks to you we give!' Gratitude is not something to be taught, it is something a child picks up from his environment and the whole verse of thanking the Earth keeps the child grounded and reflects the importance of expressing gratitude to Mother Earth. Mother Earth - nature - whatever you want to call her, is a beautiful, living example of generosity and gratitude. There is a beautiful poem I read by Anonymous - Nothing in Nature lives for itself. Rivers don’t drink their own water. Trees don’t eat their own fruits. The sun doesn’t shine for itself. A flower’s fragrance is not for itself. Living for each other is Nature’s rule. There is an inspiring story too, of a simple act of kindness - I got on to the bus. Seeing the crowd inside, I was upset. There was no place to sit. Just then, a person vacated his seat. The man standing next to the vacant seat could have sat there, but instead he offered the seat to me. At the next stop, the same thing happened again. He gave his seat to another person. This continued four times during my entire journey. The man looked like a normal worker, returning home after a long day at work… At the last stop when all of us got off, I asked him. "Why were you giving your seat to another person every time you got a vacant seat?" His answer took me by surprise. "I haven’t studied much in my life nor do I know many things. I don't have much money either. So I don't have anything much to give to anyone. That's why I do this everyday. It is something I can do easily. After working all day I can stand for a little longer. I gave my seat to you and you said thank you. It gave me satisfaction that I did something for someone. I do this daily & feel I am contributing in some way. I go back home refreshed & happy every day that I gave something to someone." I was speechless!!! Wanting to do something for someone on a daily basis is the ultimate gift. This heart-warming story teaches us that we might have several houses, the best of furniture, expensive clothes, or all the luxuries of the world, but a simple gesture can make a big difference in changing your inner landscape - making you richer and happier! “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.” ~ Melody Beattie
Love and Light,
Bhavika & Clyde
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