Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.
― A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
As I lay me down to sleep, I always give thanks for a safe, warm, dry place to sleep. I think of those I love and I appreciate their well-being. During Thanksgiving celebrations most of us offer similar prayers before the mid-afternoon meal, gazing on food portions only Ándre the Giant would require.
Even when we say grace alone, it’s often in gratitude for family and friends, both present and absent. We consider the meal before us and “all our blessings,” but it is unlikely we enumerate them all. It isn’t possible, is it? Most of us have too many to name. But even when we do think about them, perhaps after hearing of a friend enduring a rough season, do we really capture all of them?
Clearly the heavy hitters enriching our lives would be our family and faith and productive work. But what about our abilities and the myriad of talents shared with us by others? Aren’t those gifts, too?
Many of us are loathe to dwell on our own talents, thinking it too gauche. Perhaps even arrogant. Indulge me for a moment, though. I’m thinking that if you don’t specifically identify ways you can enhance your own life and those of others, you’re missing out. And society misses out.
Think about what you really appreciate–maybe live music (vocalists or instrumentalists), homemade desserts, hand-sewn quilts, riveting storytellers, and authors with the gift to transport you from present circumstances to a place with none of your own anxiety.
I could go on and on, but consider how much you are able to contribute just because you have an innate or learned talent. Yes, you’re blessed with it, but it also blesses others when you acknowledge it, groom it, share it.
A few weeks ago I had the good fortune (thank you, Mark!) to be invited to a coffee house where a talented musician was scheduled to play. And play, he did. Heinz Lips is over 90 years old and is still spreading joy. Mr. Lips is originally from Germany, where he was a professional musician, doing tours at USO locations. He and his wife moved here about 20 years ago to retire, but he has not relegated his musical skills to the dustbin just yet.
I do not know Mr. Lips well, as I have met him only once, but let’s assume he’s been playing for more than 50 years. Can you imagine how many lives he’s touched? And he’s STILL touching lives. His musical renditions made me misty more than once during the few hours he was at the keyboard. What if he had decided to sit home and play checkers at 65? He’s over 90, people, and he continues to enrich both his own life and that of others.
Mr. Lips’ talent is just one example of opportunities for gratitude that we might overlook. Music engages, if not delights, your hearing. And speaking of hearing, doesn’t it give you joy to hear laughter? My first underwriting mentor sat two aisles away from me when we worked together, but I could hear her when she laughed. I had no idea what amused her on those occasions, but it still lifted my spirits. We have been friends now for over 3 decades and I still smile thinking of those times.
And consider your other four senses. What about the comfortable weight of your four-legged family member snoozing on your lap, the smell of bread baking, the taste of the morning’s first cup of coffee, or the thrill you experience when you see a loved one running toward you for a bearhug?
We too often look only around our house, or maybe just our dinner table, to count our blessings. Or is it just me? I am eternally grateful for the ability to read, learn new skills, listen to accomplished musicians, and lay my eyes on beautiful scenery. And we’re never too old for that. I have achieved an age that some consider old, an age that my high school classmates consider simply the status quo and one that my 94 year-old mother views as quite young.
In my head I’m still 16 and looking forward to the next sunrise, the next book, the next friend’s phone call with unwavering gratitude.
You?
Love this Gayle! Grateful that you’re sharing your gift of writing with us. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you, Ryan! And Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
I too am grateful for your writing Gayle and appreciate you sharing with us! Thank you for sharing the story about Heinz.
Mark and I are so blessed to meet many new friends since moving to TN.