To be ungrateful is sinful. It is a failure to repay a moral debt. There are degrees of ungratefulness. The first degree is to neglect to return a favor. The second degree is to take no notice of the favor. The lowest degree in ingratitude is to fail even to admit to one’s self that a favor has been given. We are all familiar with ungrateful people–people who accept favors as if they were theirs by right, people who never thank anyone for favors, and people who never return a favor. Such people are like sands in the workings of a fine watch. They grate on other people’s feelings and remove the pleasure from human relationships and love. Saint Thomas in My Way of Life
Thankfulness is key to my life. I truly believe that everyone, no matter what their station or situation in life, has something to be thankful for. We often equate thankfulness to material possessions. The more “things” that one has the more thankful one should be. I know that for me it is easy to be thankful when my belly is full and my bank account has money but I have seen many folks in dire situations that are extremely thankful.
We always tried to teach the boys when they were young to say thank you. The effect of a simple thank you can carry great weight and it always impressed me when we lived in North Carolina how polite children were. They were raised to say thank you. It was automatic to say “Yes Ma’am” and “No, Sir”. It was a normal response and to this midwestern girl it was welcomed and I tried to teach our boys to be as polite as possible.
My brother in law, Carlton, is a work in progress just like the rest of us. Over the years when the health of his folks deteriorated he spent more and more time on his own and one of the results of that was a lessening of some social skills that he had always had. When we moved in after his dad’s death it was obvious to me that he needed a bit of behavior modification in that area and so I put my social work hat on and tried to transform some of his manners. Well, we all know how well it works when you try to change someone! It doesn’t. But what I wanted was to get Carlton to simply say thank you again. When he was complimented on how nice he looked he would respond “I know.”. When someone was nearing a door that needed to be opened he stood back and did nothing. When he was given a present he would ooh and ahhh but have to be reminded to say thank you.
It is those simple acts that I believe can make a huge difference. That is why I was so adamant that Carlton should try to remember to do those things again. As an adult with Down Syndrome he already has enough challenges and I wanted him to be able to appreciate and respond appropriately to situations he might find himself in. As we watched him open his birthday presents recently over webcams we noticed that that politeness and gratitude is sneaking back into his life once again. It makes me smile. It makes me very grateful and happy that he has a lot to be thankful for and he realizes it. Now if we can only get the rest of the world to move towards a heart of gratitude .
What are you grateful for today? Let me know in the comments above. I would love to read a long list of gratitudes today. Thank YOU!
28 Comments
Leave a commentI am grateful. Probably can’t quantify this very easily nor do I want to write an essay. Grateful for all of God’s blessings: a wonderful nurturing caring mom, a terrific wife, good kids, grandkids, good friends and meaning and purpose in my life.
Great answers, Ozzie. Thank you for sharing!
I am thankful for having parents that loved and took care of me, a loving husband, 4 wonderful children, many good friends, and someone that has loved and cared for me all my life, God.
You have a great list of gratitudes and I might add that I am very thankful for YOU and for the example you and Daddy have given me to base my life on.
I am thankful for you and your unceasing support; for my wonderful family; for God, who is always with me; for friends who listen, care and pray for me; for the gifts of my creativity; and so much more.
Thank you for this reminder to always be grateful. I needed to read this today.
I am thankful for you as well, Audrey. Your list is just like mine—so full and complete of things to be thankful for every single day. I am trying to remember to thank the One who sustains me and gives me all of these wonderful blessings more.
I’m grateful for T and the boys! My life would be so empty and meaningless without them! I truly feel blessed by getting to have them in my life and beyond grateful for giving me this amazing life and experience! I’m also incredibly thankful for a job that I enjoy, challenges me, lets me be creative, but doesn’t deter from my home life. I’m grateful for so many many more things, but those are at the top of my list today!
That is a great list, Katy. I don’t know many of us who are not thankful for our families. I can not imagine not having the love and support of mine and I know you have the same feeling about yours. I think it is very important to practice gratitude every way that we can. Thank YOU for stopping by!
I am grateful for an awesome wife!
❤️❤️❤️❤️thank you Mr.
Mr. Diamond. Emoji did not show up!
I’m so thankful for so much that it would take up a lot of space to write it all. But the one item I’m most thankful for is Jesus, my Savior. Without Him, I’d be lost and life would have no meaning.
Amen. And Amen. Thank you.
I’m with you on this. Mr. Gibber and I have been working hard to find at least 5 things a day to be grateful for. It changes perspectives attitudes and mindsets too. I’m grateful that our neighbours dogs have been quiet for the last couple of days. I’m grateful that we may be moving out of Northern AB. I’m of course grateful for the blog world and all that I’ve gotten to know through it. 🙂
Those are wonderful reasons to be grateful. It does help to verbalize them daily, doesn’t it?
It sure does!
I am thankful for so much it is hard to pick one. I am super thankful for a wonderful supportive family that never tell me I´m crazy (even if they think so) and always shower me with love. I am also thankful for my amazing friends, including you!
I am thankful for YOU! Thanks for stopping by.
It really is often the simple things – like a whole day of warm sunshine yesterday, and rain during the night: and a morning awake to find my poppies bloomed!! it may not be much to some, but to me: it’s Life! It blooms all around us, we just have to notice it.
What a great thing to list! I agree. Seems like sometimes we miss all the obvious things, right? Thanks for sharing!
I am grateful to have completed my lifelong dream of certifying. There could be no way of thanking the angels who helped me when I was a single mom, chasing a dream. But I do my best to help others and send a little extra $ thank you to those around me. Being in those shoes, I know just a lil extra $ can go a long way for some.
You are such an inspiration. I know that it was not an easy road but you did it! And yes—you have blessed others along the way and that is such a gift. Thanks for stopping by!
oops! $ or helpful gifts. *wink*
I’m grateful for you! (and my biological blog sister). I have so many things to be thankful for 🙂
I am grateful for you as well. Hugs.
I am thankful for the many blessings I experience daily – for the sheer joy in someone’s face when they hear they’ve “gotten the job”; for surprise hugs; for those simple words of “thanks” given genuinely….I’m thankful for an incredibly supportive husband, for friends who “get me”, and for the beauty and sound of each new day. I’m thankful you were one of the first person’s I met through social media and blogging and am amazed and blessed to be part of such a supportive and friendly group!
Great list of gratitudes, Jenny! It is so easy to get caught up in life and kind of forget to take note of them. I am so grateful for our North Iowa Bloggers as well and am so happy that I will be able to take you all with me everywhere I go!
[…] Beth Ann over at It’s Just Life recently wrote a post about gratitude! (Check hers out HERE!) So, I’m going to spin off her idea and list 10 things that I’m grateful […]