Gratitude

Greetings, readers!
It's been six days since my last post. The delay wasn't attributed to writer's block (thank goodness) - quite the opposite. I was struggling with which theme or topic should I write about next! I am grateful that there's so many things important to me and that I'm passionate about. Which leads me into today's theme - gratitude.

One of my favorite quotations is of Zen Buddhist origin:
“Ultimate GRATITUDE for All Things PAST,               
Ultimate SERVICE for All Things PRESENT,
Ultimate RESPONSIBILITY for All Things FUTURE “

Gratitude is not just a virtue.
Gratitude is MORE than being thankful, grateful or appreciative.
It is also acceptance and understanding.
It is a state of being, feeling, thinking and acting.

When we embody gratitude, we allow ourselves to experience people, places and things more completely, and more positively!

When we "are" gratitude, we take an inventory of all of our gifts and blessings, and divert our focus away from all of the things we don't have or that others have instead of us.

We cannot always choose our circumstances, but we can ALWAYS choose how to think, feel and act with regard to those circumstances.

When we "are" gratitude, we acknowledge that by demonstrating gratitude we receive it back in multitude.

A Personal Story of Gratitude

When I was stricken with Guillain-Barre Syndrome in the fall of 1999, my circumstances were pretty dire. I went from healthy as a horse to paralyzed in the ICU at Tucson Medical Center in about 72 hours. I was blessed with an attending ER physician who just completed a neuro rotation and knew that it was GBS, after ruling out MS by way of a lumbar puncture(!) and testing of my spinal fluid.

It was a challenging journey - I spent about a week and a half in the hospital, followed by months of occupational and physical therapy.

So, how did I embody "gratitude"? How did my circumstance foster "gratitude"?

My employer - my boss, my coworkers, the District office, all gave me the peace of mind and freedom necessary to heal and recover. I missed over two full months of work, plus another two months of working only part time. The second phone call I received in the hospital was our Business DIrector, telling me - "don't worry about anything but getting better". My "gratitude" created opportunities for people I didn't know very well to care about me, and care FOR me.

My mother welcomed her adult, independent son back into her home and did all that she could to help me heal. I am forever grateful to her for her love and support. We spoke of her role in my recovery only weeks before her passing in March, 2010. My "gratitude" permitted me to lower my guard, swallow my pride and accept my mother's role as caregiver - as a 33 year old.

My wife (then fiance) was willing to give up everything, even her career, to spend each day with me - accompanying me to PT or OT, giving me a sponge bath, running out of the hospital for real food, sleeping beside me in those very uncomfortable sleeper chairs. My being in "gratitude" permitted me to fully understand how much she loved me and that I knew that she was without doubt the person I was meant to spend my life with.

I had contracted GBS - I never learned exactly how. My "gratitude" repelled the temptation to ask why! I accepted my circumstances, my physical, mental and emotional challenges and residual damage (chronic pain to this day) that was part of the GBS.
My being in "gratitude" shifted my perspective about persons with disabilities - I had a handicapped plate and used a walker and cane for about 8 weeks post-hospitalization. The facial neuropathy created an appearance similar to a stroke/TIA victim and left me unable to smile or blink my eyes well. I had people move out of my way, stare, whisper and even yell or speak slowly to me. I politely replied back to them "I'm not deaf, nor am I delayed!".

My "gratitude" allowed me to acknowledge and experience the privilege of being 'temporarily handicapped' and gave me an improved understanding of those with physical, mental or cognitive challenges.

There were many others who "stepped up" when adversity struck, and they are not forgotten but stricken from the story for brevity's sake. The important thing is that my "story" could have been quite different if those circumstances were confronted without gratitude...

I encourage each of you to start (or continue) your journey towards gratitude by being grateful, thankful and appreciative. There is NOTHING wrong with that!
When we shift, the easiset place to start is with our behavior. When we act with gratitude, we will begin to think and feel in gratitude. Eventually, we wil become "gratitude" on occasion and with practice and purposefulness, we can become "gratitude" consistently.

Gratitude helps us to see the good all around us, it allows us to take responsibility for what we're doing to make our world and the lives of all around us fuller. This in turn, makes our lives more full and rich!

Gratitude permits us to define the challenges behind us, as well as accept the lessons of those challenges that lie ahead.

Be well.
K-