Gratitude Department

As we all gathered around the Thanksgiving Day table with family and/or friends, I hope that your thoughts were not only on the bounty that laid in front of you.  This is one day in the year where we can set everything aside to be grateful for what we have, be grateful for the people who have touched our lives and be grateful for those who are around us.  This is also the time of year where, hopefully, you have thought of those less fortunate and have taken the time to help at a food bank/shelter, donated to a food drive or were involved in an adopt-a-family program.  It is not only important that we enjoy this feast, but also that we give someone that is in a lesser situation the opportunity to enjoy a special meal with their family and/or friends as well.

There have been times in my life, when I was at a Thanksgiving Day meal, where the host went around the room and asked everyone to say what they are grateful for.  The pressure to perform and stand up with some comment was always tough.  To compress an entire year into a single sentence of thankfulness is not a simple task.  I was never a fan of doing this as I did not want to leave anyone out, sound goofy or feel uncomfortable.  Being thankful and showing gratitude is not something to be condensed into a single moment where some of the people, or events, are not even present to be the recipient of the words being spoken.  I opt for being able to express your gratitude throughout the year and to the people you wish to express it to.

Remember, do not wait until a specific time of year to be grateful/thankful.  Thank people when they have done something good, for they will be happy someone has recognized their efforts.  Acknowledge the people you work with for putting in an extra effort.  Remember to express gratitude to your family members, who sometimes, not meaning to, we might take for granted.  They are specifically the people we spend most of our time with, get to live with when going through tough times and the ones who provide daily support.  Remember to say those two simple words, “Thank You,” when someone does something good.  It is sometimes the smallest gestures of gratitude that can lead to the biggest impacts.  Remember to have an attitude of gratitude in this season of thankfulness.

5 Years Working at It

On November 12, 2013, I wrote a blog regarding Words, their usage and their meaning. Little did I realize that 5 years later, 263 weekly blog posting would be made on a consistent, weekly basis.  As my 5-year anniversary quietly moves by, my “Weekly Thoughts” have given me some time to reflect.

I always wanted to “try” my hand at writing.  Yes, “try” does not imply following through, providing a goal, nor giving insight to whatever the intent might be.  To rephrase, I have always wanted to write something, be it a comic book, novel, or anything.  Prior to November 12^th, I would send a couple of inspirational sentences to a team I was working with.  The objective was to present some positive thoughts that they could use to their advantage, some small lessons to be shared, or even to realize they were not alone in their thinking and daily activities. 

Then I concluded, why share my thoughts with a small group when I could share with a larger audience.  If I wanted to help inspire others, pass on a lesson or share a positive event, I would need to reach a larger audience.  My events, my thoughts, my experiences – if presented in the correct format, might touch someone who was facing something in his/her life that a positive message might be something to help.  There are some values behind my writing – most importantly, there must be a positive message or a lesson learned.  I truly believe in the saying “every cloud has a silver lining,” so positive writing would be easy…or so I thought.

We are all in this life together.  The reality is that the rose-colored glasses can taint the way we view things.  If this was the 60’s and I said that everything was “Groovy,” you would instantly question what I was on.  All our lives have positives and negatives in them – it is how we perceive them, how we determine to react to events and how we communicate that makes our lives filled with optimism or dappled with pessimism.  Our outlooks define the outcomes we desire.  I have shared the good, the bad and the ugly, but always believe that the sun will come out tomorrow.

After 5 years of writing, I still believe in the importance of the words that we use and the good that they can represent.  Someone will be listening, and someone will take what you say to heart, whether you mean what you say or not.  Use your words wisely, and you too might have a positive impact on someone else.

Impacts in our Lives

This morning, I was shocked to see a post on Facebook about the passing of person many of us knew over the years.  I stopped and stared.  I am at a point in my life where the various parts of the life cycle are no longer a mystery and as I get older, more people are moving onto the next world.

This one struck me, as a tear rolled down my cheek.  As is with so many people on Facebook, we have been friends for years, but have not seen each other in well over 20 years.  While I have no one person who I can say that was my mentor, this was someone who did have an impact on my life.  As a college kid and a counselor at Camp Eco Lark, I was learning how to deal with my campers:  Lots of yelling, trying to get them to activities, etc.  There was a senior counselor (meaning he taught during the year), who was loud, fun and seemingly everywhere.  His philosophy was to be "big" up front, set down the rules, start off strict, then ease off. Each summer, he followed that process -  it worked and he became one of those beloved people you looked forward to seeing the following year.

He had many good ways to handle new situations, some of which I have adopted.  The advice he once gave me about working with kids, was invaluable.  At that point, I had trouble controlling (I.e., being the leader) and thought yelling and idle threats were the answer. "Once you yell," he told me, " there is nothing more you can do."  Simple advice?  Yes.  However, it caused me to change my approach, find other ways to work with campers and ultimately made me a better counselor.  Watching, learning and using his advice, paid off years later when I became a parent and had my own children.

The impact on me from that summer long ago, and the advice imparted, is something that I have and will always remember.  Paying it forward, I have said similar things to others.  If we take a moment to step back during our lives, there are always people who cross our paths with lessons to teach.  In the month where we are supposed to be grateful for what we have, I am grateful for the life lessons learned.  Remember the people in your lives who knowingly or unknowingly who have positively affected you.  Wherever you are now, Murray, I am grateful that our paths crossed.  I know that wherever the next world takes you, you are making sure that people are laughing, imparting wisdom and impacting souls.