An Attitude of Gratitude is much espoused by spiritual communities everywhere. But for some reason, this year a piece of me is a little annoyed with that whole idea… not that anything is particularly wrong in my life, or that I don’t have lots to be grateful for, but I keep asking myself why I SHOULD be thankful for the struggles… why should I be happy to embrace the pain that has slowed me down so much in the past year? Why should I be happy to have a leaky roof and little hope for repairing it any time soon? Why can’t I just say, ‘Thanks, but no thanks, I’d rather not have the pain or the leaky roof. I’d prefer not to struggle, thanks you very much”?

Then I think of the thousands of children facing terminal illnesses, or the people who were pushed out of their homes in the past week, floodwaters having destroyed their homes and businesses, and I wonder how anyone could be arrogant enough to suggest that these people be grateful for their losses… yet so many are, for lives that were saved, suffering that was relieved, animals and treasured belongings that were recovered… something about human nature and our will to survive and thrive that drives us to be positive, to look for the good even in the midst of disaster. Continue reading →