The Art of Gratitude

Gratitude isn’t solely about the experiences we love, enjoy, and feel passion in. Although those are often the ones for which we can first speak of in being grateful. The opportunities for which we feel such joy where our efforts are being recognized by the universe in a manner for which we seem to be seen.

There are the challenging situations of walking with loved ones and friends to the bridge from this plane of existence to spirit in different levels of participation along with the animal beings. I have been blessed to be beside over fifty animal beings as they walked towards and over the rainbow bridge since the beginning of my business. Yes, these have been times of high emotions regardless of how long I have known the being. For often to understand where they are, it is about putting myself in their paws to feel what they want or need for themselves or those within their family.

Gratitude for the body, for all aspects – those that work the way we expect them to and those that work in different ways – many of which we do not always see.

In a class I once took, the instructor shared a statement that brought this into perspective, what if you awoke today to discover only the experiences, the aspects of the body, and other things that you were grateful for yesterday…what would you awake to find?

Would you have a body? Eyes to read this, ears to hear it.

Have running water, electricity, lights?

Would you have love, friendship?

The opportunities to explore, move your body?

Would you have a pencil, a pen?

Being grateful for the memories, the lessons, the love, the hardship, the misunderstandings, the challenges, the heartaches, the pain, the laughter, and the joy. For the person who cut you off this morning, the geese that decided to walk across the road when you were running late, the day you had all green lights on your way in or yes even when it took you ten minutes longer as you hit all red lights. What if the reason in the much bigger view was you arrived safely at your destination? The times when you had to make the most difficult decisions.

Yes, gratitude is an art form. When we can step far enough out of the emotions, the details, and less at the clock, we can see a much different picture take shape – one that goes beyond the surface of what it is to be grateful.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and know I am grateful for each one of you.