On Thankfulness and a Grateful Poem (#5)
It’s Thanksgiving day 2020 — here’s your cliché “I’m Thankful for…” essay. And certainly, it is overdone; but it’s also underdone. This exercise is completed by most either once a year, or not at all. But gratitude is shown to directly influence happiness, and who doesn’t want to be happy? I was reminded of this fact by Gretchen Rubin — of whose weekly email newsletter I subscribe and which most recently focused on gratitude. If you aren’t familiar with her, check her out as she has some fantastic stuff.
First, a Poem:
As rain water floods the desert canyon reaches,
Gratitude fills the soul with positive thinking.
As the flooding tide rinses debris from the banks and beaches,
Gratitude fades away bad thoughts into depths sinking.
As sunshine allows us to see the beauty of the world,
Gratitude allows us to enjoy life.
As music reverberates our bones, joyfulness told,
Gratitude keeps spirits rife.
Where complaining maintains negativity in mind’s favor,
Gratitude wipes the slate clean for progress.
Where dissatisfaction focuses on failure,
Gratitude takes pleasure in the success.
Where meager means results depression,
Gratitude sees a harvest bountiful.
Where there is a lack of appreciation,
Gratitude allows us to be thankful.
Thankful For:
It’s not something I typically contemplate, but there are many things in my life going great. All too often, I focus on the negative — but what does this truly accomplish? To broadly state them, I’m thankful for the people in my life, my home, and my work situation.
I have many great people in my life, but will focus on the three truly great people. My significant other is caring, sweet, and pushes me to enjoy my life by expanding my “boundaries”; without them in my life, it would surely be less joyful and less interesting. My parents are loving and kind; they look out for my best interests. As a slow developer, emotional/social maturity wise, they have both been exceeding patient allowing me to learn lessons at my own pace. Those lessons would not have been as powerful learned another way and the freedom to do so confirms that I’m loved for who I am, not what I do.
Too many people are without housing and many more have insufficient space. I am lucky to enjoy a single-family home with my significant other, our three pets, and myself. It’s warm when it’s cold outside, cool when it’s hot outside, and safe during storms. What’s more, we have a backyard for the dogs to roam and to enjoy the weather when it’s nice. As an introvert, these spaces allow me to recharge via alone time and reconnect when I’m ready.
Employment and the workplace have arguably never had a tougher year. Vast layoffs, furloughs, and reimagined workdays haven’t directly affected me — that’s a blessing. My work allows me to work from home, or anywhere I choose to be. I’m able to spend my whole day in the comfort of my own home with my pets, and sometimes my significant other. Best of all, I’m able to earn a living utilizing my creative output that fulfills deeper needs than just paying my bills.
I’m thankful for so many things in my life; I’ll look to remind myself of that before Thanksgiving 2021.
“Download Thanksgiving Turkey Transparent PNG.” Stick PNG, 26 Nov. 2020, www.stickpng.com/img/holidays/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-turkey.
