November 2021: Gratitude
A grateful heart is a gem to behold, a gift to oneself and the world.
Gratitude is not about where I look, but rather how I process what I see. For life is a mixture of pain and possibility, where tragedy and triumph coexist within a mixture of the worst, and the best, we beings offer each other. The cognitive and emotional dissonance of extremes resounds within the mundane repetitions and simple delights of daily life. How do I make sense of it all and come out grateful? Interconnectedness.
As I take the world in, I do not deny pain (mine, or another’s) by applying a positive spin, or negate current tragedy by assuming a future benefit, or even dismiss bad behavior by excusing the blunder. I sit with the discomfort. Pain signals danger and seeks relief. Tragedy amplifies vulnerability and demands restorative measures. Bad behavior indicates disregard and requires change. These can be individual or communal crises. They all deserve attention and resolution, but that relief may or may not happen.
When I can, I provide comfort, offer safety, or advocate for boundaries for those in pain. When there is nothing to be done to fix the situation or solve the problem, I offer connection by holding space. I am grateful when others offer connection and hold space for me in return. In holding space for others, and when others hold space for me, we are honoring a silent but palpable connection. We alone may carry our individual pain, but we will walk with the discomfort together, journeying as companions. Without doing anything at all but simply being, we merge energy, mingle heartbeats, and share breath. In being together we are connecting and I am grateful.
May you also find the daily delights and interconnections that conjure gratitude. Your grateful heart is a gem. The world needs your gem.
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