GRATITUDE

HELLO STAFF, MEMBERS, FRIENDS,  AND FAMILY,

I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TODAY AND WISH ALL OF YOU A JOYOUS, LOVING AND SAFE THANKSGIVING!  IT IS NOT OFTEN I CAN SHARE MY GRATITUDE TO EACH OF YOU FOR ALL YOU’VE DONE THIS YEAR, INCLUDING SHARING IN THE HARD TIMES.  LIFE CAN BE A LONELY PLACE.  IT IS MUCH EASIER TO EXPERIENCE GRATITUDE KNOWING THOSE YOU CARE FOR WHO TOUCHED YOU IN SOME MAGICAL WAY  YOU’RE ABLE TO EXPRESS THIS.  YOU’VE SHARED WITH THEM JUST HOW APPRECIATIVE AND THANKFUL YOU ARE. 

I DON’T BELIEVE WE MEET PEOPLE BY SIMPLE CHANCE.  THESE ARE THE PEOPLE IN OUR LIFE WHO TOUCH US IN SOME WAY OR TEACH US SOMETHING WHICH IS VALUABLE FOR US TO GROW IN LIFE.  GRATITUDE IS EXPRESSING THIS EITHER IN OUR ACTIONS OR WORDS.  IT’S EASY TO BLAME THOSE WHO LOVE US FOR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF US IN SOME WAY OR HAVE IN THE PAST.  WHAT TO FOCUS ON IS WHAT THESE INDIVIDUALS BROUGHT INTO OUR LIVES.  YES, ITS MORE OF A HEADACHE THAN WE SOMETIMES REALIZE AT DIFFERENT TIMES.  HOWEVER, ONE DAY THEY OR US WILL COME TO THE END OF OUR JOURNEY.  SOME PEOPLE WE SHARE KEY MOMENTS AND FEELINGS WITH ARE ONLY MEANT TO BE WITH US TO TEACH US SOME FORM OF LESSON, AND SOME OF THOSE WILL SHARE OUR JOURNEY ALONG OUR PATH WILL SHARE IT TO THE END.  

REGARDLESS, WE SHOULD FEEL GRATITUDE TOWARDS THEM, NOT ANGRY AS THERE ARE TIMES WE GET HURT EMOTIONALLY BASED ON OUR EXPECTATIONS ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE THERE TO PREPARE YOU FOR THE NEXT STEP ALTHOUGH THEY WILL NOT BE TAKING IT WITH US.  ANGER GETS US NOWHERE WITH PERSONAL GROWTH SO ANGER WE FEEL VERSES GRATITUDE HURTS US IN THE END.  WHEN WE PRACTICE FORGIVENESS AND GRACE WITH OTHERS, WE ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE GRACE AFFORDED TO US.  WHEN WE FEEL ANGER DUE TO OUR OWN FEAR AND SELF BLAME, WE ONLY DO DAMAGE TO ALL THOSE AROUND US.  ANGER IS POWERFUL AND EATS INTO OUR ENERGY SUPPLY.  “LET GO, LET GOD” IS A QUOTE I HAVE PICKED UP OVER THE YEARS.  WHEN WE LET GO OF ANGER, EVEN HATRED, WE OPEN UP AN ABUNDANCE OF INNER SPACE IN OUR HEART TO LOVE, SHARE AND BE GRATEFUL FOR THE GOOD TIMES WE’VE HAD WITH THEM.  IT IS EASIER TO SEE A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT THEY TAUGHT US AND TAKE THAT LESSON FORWARD WITH GRATITUDE TO OUR CURRENT PLACE INSTEAD OF LIVING IN THE PAST.  

WE ALSO HAVE LONG TERM INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN OUR LIFE WHO WILL WALK BESIDE US WHETHER THEY WILL ALWAYS SHARE IN THE DEEPEST MEMORIES AND HEARTFELT MOMENTS WITH THEM.  THIS LIST  OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE USUALLY FAMILY OR A BEST FRIEND.  BLOOD DOES APPEAR TO HAVE STRONG TIES FOR ALL OF US.  THIS FAMILY OR DEEP FRIENDSHIP SHARED WITH THEM IS ALSO SHARED BY THEM.  DESPITE US BEING CAUGHT UP IN OUR OWN FEELINGS, WE MAY HURT THEM ALONG THE WAY AS WELL  SHARING LOVE WTIH THOSE IMPORTANT THIS THANKSGIVING AND REMEMBER THOSE WHOM YOU’VE LOVED IN THE PAST  SOME FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE MOVED ON BEFORE WE WISHED THEY HAD, AND ACKNOWLEDGE IN OUR HEARTS OUR LOVE AND MEMORIES WE SHARED WITH THEM.

FINALLY, THERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE IN LIFE WE KNOW FOR AN HOUR BUT FEEL WE HAVE KNOWN ALL OF OUR LIFE.  WE ARE OPEN WITH THEM IN A WAY WE COULDN’T POSSIBLY SHARE BY ACCIDENT.  WE KNOW THEY ARE SPECIAL AND LOVE THEM IN OUR HEART AN HOUR AFTER WE MEET THEM.  THESE PEOPLE WE DON’T SHARE OUR TIME WITH BY ACCIDENT.  GOD DOESN’T WANT US TO BE ALONE.  BEING ALONE FOR ME IS OKAY BUT MY HEART AND SOUL CRAVES OTHERS.  AM I AFRAID TO BE ALONE?  MAYBE-HOWEVER SOME OF US ARE LONERS, OR OLD SOULS AND SOME OF US ARE IN NEED OF THE WARMTH A LOVED ONE OFFERS.  I WISH TO THANK THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN MY LIFE AND HEART SUCH AS MY FAMILY STILL HERE AND THOSE WHO CAN NO LONGER BE WITH US.  I WANT TO FEEL THE WARMTH I ONCE FELT AS THEY STOOD NEXT TO ME.  MY HEART AND SOUL WILL ALWAYS BE CONNECTED TO THEM BY AN INVISIBLE THREAD.  

ANOTHER LAST THOUGHT WOULD BE TO THANK THOSE WHO BRING SO MUCH GOOD AND POSITIVITY IN OUR LIVES GIVING SO MUCH OF THEMSELVES.  ENOUGH GRATITUDE CAN’T BE EXPRESSED TO REACH THE LENGTH OR INVOLVEMENT OF THANKLESSNESS AND LACK OF EXPECTATION THEY EXPECT FOR ALL THEY DO.  THESE ARE THOSE ANGELS IN OUR LIFETIME WE WILL AND DO REMEMBER DAILY WHETHER WITH THEM OR NOT.  TAKE A MOMENT THIS THANKSGIVING AND SAY A PRAYER OF GRATITUDE FOR ALL OF THESE PEOPLE;  PAST, PRESENT AND GONE FROM OUR LIVES TAKEN.  EXPRESS GRATITUDE BY GOING AROUND  VIA FACETIME  IF NECESSARY AND EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE FOR THEM AND ALL THEY DO.  MAKE SURE TO SAY A SILENT PRAYER FOR THOSE NOW GONE FROM OUR LIFE THIS YEAR. 

ADOPT AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE REPLACING SELFISH THOUGHTS FOR GRATEFUL ONES FOR WHAT THEY DID OFFER, GRATEFUL EXPERIENCES SHARED WITH THEM WHICH BROUGHT YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.  SAY THE SIMPLE WORDS OF GRATITUDE, THANK YOU TO THOSE YOU GIVE THANKS FOR.  SHARE WHY YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR THEM ACKNOWLEDGING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WHY YOU FEEL THIS DEEP GRATITUDE AND THANKFULNESS.  MY TEAM IS ALSO A PART OF MY LOVED ONES AND THEY GIVE UNCONDITIONALLY WITH OUT EXPECTATIONS.  IF I HAD ONE LESSON TO LEAVE YOU WITH IT WOULD BE THIS:  LOVE THOSE YOU LOVE WITHOUT EXPECTATIONS OR PRECONCEIVED CONDITIONAL LOVE.  GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WHEN THE HEART MISSES THOSE NO LONGER HERE AND REMEMBER WE WILL SEE THEM AGAIN, IN ANOTHER TIME AND PLACE.  HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND MANY PRAYERS FOR MY BFF GOING THROUGH SUCH A HARD TIME WITH HER DAUGHTER HAVING CANCER AND MY BFF HERE IN COLORADO.  HER SON IS COPING WITH COVID NOW, AND SHE WORRIES IT WILL SPREAD TO HER GRANDSON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.  

I AM GRATEFUL FOR THOSE WHO I ONCE LOVED AND WILL ALWAYS CARRY THEIR LESSONS ALONG SIDE ME.  BE GRATEFUL TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU MAY MEET OR HAVE MET THIS YEAR THAT ARE MORE THAN A PASSING IN THE WIND.  THANK YOU MY ONLINE BFF REENIE REID..ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU..GOD’S BLESSINGS TO MY EXTENDED FAMILY WHO UNFORTUNATELY LIVE OUT OF STATE AND I WILL NOT SEE THIS THANKSGIVING AND GIVE THANKS TO OUR MEDICAL COMMUNITY AND ALL THEY DO. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL….

SAMANTHA LEBOEUF/FOUNDER                                                                                                                          DAILYWISDOMWORDS.COM