You Have Life Be Thankful

A miracle of life, a small plant growing through snow.

If every moment is sacred, and If you are amazed and in awe most of the time when you find yourself breathing and not crazy, then you are in a state of constant thankfulness, worship and humility. (Bernice Johnson Reagon)

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. (Meister Eckhart)

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that thankfulness is indeed a virtue. (William Bennett)

I am aiming for the sky with this story. I am asking you to join me on a quest. A daily and personal quest possibly involving your every moment, every breath, and every conscious thought.

Now picture your life through thankfulness, gratitude and gratefulness.

Now, do you feel all this and so much more is reason enough to develop a lifestyle designed around thankfulness? I am not even hinting that life is perfect. Though at times this would be nice, yes?

Wherever you are. Please take a moment and look around you. No matter how difficult and demanding your life may be. Can you find one small thing to be truly thankful for?

I am going to suggest something. Your ability to open your laptop, click on the internet, log in to Vocal Media and read my story. By the way, thank you! You choose to read this.

Now, consider what a gift and a blessing this simple act is. You were granted the gifts of education and literacy. You can now read and understand my story written to inspire and motivate you. I hope and pray that you do not take these gifts for granted. Perhaps a silent few words of thanks for these gifts, these abilities.

Now, can you pause for a while? Is there a little something right there to be thankful for? Now a few silent words of thankfulness, gratitude and gratefulness.

A Way of Life Thankfulness, gratitude, and gratefulness: three words to describe a characteristic, a personality trait…

Can you sense a change in how you are feeling? You have given yourself a moment of happiness.

Now I am not going to play make-believe and say that life is going to be a bed of roses. Simply because you choose a life of thankfulness.

I have found that even in times of chronic illness I have things and people to be thankful for.

A friend popped into my hospital room with the most unexpected and glorious bunch of flowers. Did my cancer miraculously heal? Unfortunately no. But for just a few moments the pain was forgotten. I found words of thanks and we shared moments of love.

Losing a loved one is the most dreadful trauma a person has to endure. But even in this bottomless pit love can be shared. Tender words were spoken by my child to renew my faith in life and love. My tears were shared and my hand was tenderly held. I found the trembling words of thanks when the time was right.

There are times in your life when you have felt that all is lost. But these feelings too will pass. The sun will again shine. The birds will sing welcoming a brand new day. It will not happen overnight. but life will shine for you again. When life lightens for you once more, speak silent words of thanks.

If the only thing you have to be thankful for is life. Then this in itself is sufficient. Reminding you to be thankful.

Walk through a garden, you may glimpse a beautiful butterfly as it passes expressing the glory of nature. Whisper your thanks silently and with the deepest of love.

Have you felt drawn to happy people? Have you perhaps envied their luck? They too have suffered loss and heartache. These are tragedies common to all. The difference for these gentlefolk is their way of life.

Maybe they have adopted a life depicting a radiant spirit of thankfulness. This attitude of gratefulness fills their hearts and souls and overflows to all those they meet.

This article was also published in Medium.

https://dianemarkey920.medium.com/you-have-life-be-thankful-21adfb373843