Wherefore This Gratitude?
By Jesse Greist
I have lost family to disease, forced to say an early farewell
So now I give thanks for each day of good health
I have lost dear friends to simple misunderstandings
So now I give thanks for each word clearly spoken
I have stood in awe while a baby was born
And now I give thanks for motherhood… and childhood
I have borne witness to a single voice rising up to a bully
So now I give thanks for resistance
I have used these hands to dig a well in the sand of expanding Sahara
Now I give thanks for each sip of water taken
I have pulled a drowning child from the grip of the sea
Now I give thanks for rocks near the shore
I have kept a boiled egg from breakfast for the man outside with nothing
Now each bite I take is a prayer of thanksgiving
I have made myself learn to say hello in your language
And your smile is a thank you all its own
Why do we push on through the tough moments we are faced with?
Because gratitude writes itself onto our hearts when we do