Did you know Thursday, Sept. 21, is the annual World Gratitude Day? I discovered the day by accident while looking for something else. This day aims to remind us of the importance of expressing gestures of thanks and appreciation.
I dare to say, that showing gratitude seems to be a lost art in the world we live in today. Understandably, sometimes we can get caught up in our busy lives and neglect to show how grateful we are for the people around us. That is something we should work on.
Let’s try not to get so busy that we forget to thank the ones who do so much for us. My mother passed away in March and from time to time I catch myself wondering if she knew how much I appreciated all of the things she did for me. I wonder if I took the time to stop and say thank you.
I hope I did, but I am sure it was not nearly often enough. Then we have friends we depend on from time to time. Do we just take for granted that she/he will always be there? Our children and grandchildren are the most precious gifts of this life. Do we let them know how much we appreciate them?
We should let them know how grateful we are that the good Lord put them in our lives. I’m afraid many times we will take time to thank or show our gratitude to acquaintances but forget to let our closest family and friends know how much they are appreciated.
It is a shame that we need a day dedicated to reminding us of what we should do every day – be grateful, be appreciative and be thankful. We have so much to be thankful for yet we just take it all for granted. It seems the more we have, the more we want. The more we get, the less we appreciate it.
I sound like I am on a soap box, but as World Gratitude Day comes around, let’s try to remember when was the last time we thanked someone or just told them how much their friendship means to us. I don’t mean just expressing it in words but from the heart.
When we give a gift, it is nice to receive a thank you card. Some people get upset if their gift is not recognized with a written response. It is nice to receive a thank you card but I don’t get upset if I do not get one. If someone verbally tells me thank you for a gift or an act of kindness, that is enough for me.
In today’s society, most young people just put a message on Facebook and that works. At least many of their friends will see it. As I look back over the decades of my life, I have a lot of people I need to be grateful for. My world would have been lacking without them.
Remember to express your gratitude often to those who deserve it. Don’t take even the smallest acts of kindness for granted. Let’s be grateful not just on World Gratitude Day but every day of the year.
Revis Blaylock is a writer for the NEA Town Courier. She may be reached by phone at 870-763-4461 or by email at revisb@neatowncourier.com.