One of my life teachers said “gratitude precedes joy,” and I’d never thought about it that way before. I was reading Kelli Agodon’s blog, and she’d listed several things for which she is grateful. Increased gratitude is something I’ve noticed in the people around me. Am I spending time with certains kinds of people who would express gratitude anyway, or are we humans moving towards expressing more gratitude?
A few weeks ago my grandmother and father hunkered down to weather Frances, which hit land only 40 miles south of my grandmother’s town. I could feel the tension from worry creeping up my back and into my shoulders. Worry and fear are only concerns about a potential outcome, so why *do* we worry? I see no rational use for worry, though fear can be useful in certain situations.
I decided I had to change my outlook on the latest hurricane, so I decided to be grateful for it. This is what I wrote to someone else about it:
In the past few days, the Hurricane Ivan weather arrived here in Maryland. We’ve had luscious winds. I love to listen to the leaves going shush, shush and I like the sound of my neighbor’s voice floating through the clear air. The plants are in the love with the rain! The plants are getting as green as they can. We had some tornados in the area, and I didn’t hear of any damage done. I am grateful for this gorgeous weather. I could sit here all night listening to leaves shush shushing.”
I think it’s important to note that I in no way mean disrespect to the people dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane, and I am sure those of you who know me already know that. My concern for my Florida family and friends was so great that I chose to find something beautiful in the disaster, because the world is not as it is. The world is as WE are.
I decided to shift how I felt about the whole situation and to choose what I wanted to feel and think about it. Well, I chose to find something to be grateful for in the hurricane and to recognize everything happens exactly as it should.
On another note, people need to be mindful of where they chose to live. We do chose our locations, and we can’t avoid Mother Nature. She will do what she will do. Sometimes that is a gift–sun and beautiful weather. Sometimes what she does is not wanted by humans–hurricanes, etc. But they do all happen for a reason.
