Gratitude in Times of Adversity
Today I am grateful for my free Nordic Track and some sweat this morning.
I am also grateful for the power of gratitude, in all times.
The huge storm Sandy continues to wreak havoc and is already blamed for 15 deaths in the U.S. and over 80 since it began in the Caribbean. People are without homes, power, transportation, and the conveniences we are accustomed to having.
The community I live in has had the tragedy of two teen suicides in less than a week. And it has been just 6 weeks since a teen died in a car crash here. Three families devastated. One high school, three teen deaths. So many grieving, mourning, confused.
A multi-car crash on a local interstate yesterday morning killed a cab driver who had been a physician in his native Sudan and who was working on becoming certified in the U.S. It was a chain reaction crash and his cab was pushed into the path of a semi. More tragedy. More loss.
So where does gratitude come in at times like this? I have not been directly impacted by any of these terrible situations, but I have faced adversity. We all have. Just as we have all faced loss in our lives.
The power of gratitude is not that it takes away the pain. The power of gratitude is that it gives us the strength to get through the pain. It softens the pain enough because we remember the gifts, the legacies, of those who die. It makes a storm bearable for those in the midst of it because it reminds them of what is really important--the safety of loved ones and having food, water, and shelter.
Gratitude in times of adversity reminds us all to make the most of today, because it
is all we get. Just today. Go live it.
I am also grateful for the power of gratitude, in all times.
The huge storm Sandy continues to wreak havoc and is already blamed for 15 deaths in the U.S. and over 80 since it began in the Caribbean. People are without homes, power, transportation, and the conveniences we are accustomed to having.
The community I live in has had the tragedy of two teen suicides in less than a week. And it has been just 6 weeks since a teen died in a car crash here. Three families devastated. One high school, three teen deaths. So many grieving, mourning, confused.
A multi-car crash on a local interstate yesterday morning killed a cab driver who had been a physician in his native Sudan and who was working on becoming certified in the U.S. It was a chain reaction crash and his cab was pushed into the path of a semi. More tragedy. More loss.
So where does gratitude come in at times like this? I have not been directly impacted by any of these terrible situations, but I have faced adversity. We all have. Just as we have all faced loss in our lives.
The power of gratitude is not that it takes away the pain. The power of gratitude is that it gives us the strength to get through the pain. It softens the pain enough because we remember the gifts, the legacies, of those who die. It makes a storm bearable for those in the midst of it because it reminds them of what is really important--the safety of loved ones and having food, water, and shelter.
Gratitude in times of adversity reminds us all to make the most of today, because it
is all we get. Just today. Go live it.
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