A Matter Of Giving Thanks - Spirituality Information

In the United States, we just celebrated the"Thanksgiving" holiday. Many other countries have theirown versions of "Thanksgiving." But thanksgiving isnot something that should be celebrated on oneparticular day of the year. It is good that a day hasbeen chosen for this, but it is up to each and everyone of us to be "giving thanks" all year long.

Sometimes we look around at our financial situation andthink that there is nothing to be thankful for. Othertimes we glance at our relationship or healthchallenges and think that giving thanks borders on theabsurd. Yet, if we look around us, we can see that weare not alone in our trials, that many others arehaving to face similar problems.

Being thankful for life itself is a way of making lifebetter. When we look away from our problems, even for ashort time, and generate joy in our hearts, we findthat the world seems to change a bit. I do not know whythis is so and I don't really need to know. All I knowis that the universe seems to respond quickly to agrateful heart.

A grateful heart is, perhaps, a heart full of"greatness." Maybe, the way it works is that when webreak focus with our problems and we take a break frombeing miserable, the River of Life flows more gentlyand more fully through our being.

Try it for yourself sometime. Stop what you're doingfor one or two minutes and quiet your mind. If you'rereally frightened by appearances around you or if yourproblems seem insurmountable, you may find thatstilling your mind becomes a very difficult task. Butwith a little practice, a minute or two at a time, itbecomes easier to do.

During this minute or two, think of two or three thingsor events you are or should be grateful for. Feel howfortunate you are to have them. For example, I considermyself extremely blessed to have had my two children,Malika and Jonathan, grow up the way they have. True,there were times when I considered running away fromhome. And yes, there were moments of anxiety andconcern when I thought to myself that children werecreated for the sole purpose of inflicting insanity ontheir parents. But don't most of us feel that way oncein a while?

Yet, with all the ups and downs of being a parent, Iconsider myself the most fortunate person on earth tohave Malika and Jonathan as my children. They havetaught me patience, unconditional love and much morethan I can ever list here. I have learned from them. Icould not be who I am without the experience of beingtheir father. And for this, I'm grateful. I givethanks.

How about unfortunate situations. Am I happy orgrateful that my wife died when she was only in herthirties? Should I be thankful that I was left with twoyoung children to raise and an entire life toreorganize? Of course not! But I am grateful that shewas my wife for the years we spent together. She wasonly nineteen when we were married. I am grateful forher love, for her kindness and compassion and formaking it possible for me to be what I am today.

We could all turn tragedy into triumph and disasterinto divine outcomes if we maintain a spirit ofgratitude and if we listen to our heart and soul. It isin our quiet times, in our "thanksgiving" moments thatwe can hear the universe sing to us. If we listencarefully, we can hear it say, "You are my child and Ilove you dearly. Look around you. All that I have isyours. Everything is yours. It always has been. Pleaseunwrap your gifts."