A life to give thanks.

Hey Miss T,

When I think of gratitude, I think of the very first thank-you note that I received that stuck in my memory. I was 12 years old, and I had given my first youth speaker talk in church. Of course I was nervous and excited at the same time to be speaking to the whole congregation, and my main motivation to succeed at giving my little part to the meeting was still the box of cereal Mom promised to get us if we had our talk memorized.

Well I gave my talk, I can't remember how it went, and I moved on with my life. I didn't think much of it until a few days letter when Mom handed an envelope to me and said, "This is for you." I opened the card up. It had a picture of a green meadow on it, with some cows and a sunshine. Inside the card a lady from church had written me a note. "Thank you for your talk on Sunday. Thank you for taking the time to prepare and sharing your testimony with us." Simple words, maybe they seem generic, but in those first moments of reading that card my eyes filled with tears, my heart filled with love and gratitude as well, and my mind filled with understanding. What could I, a 12 year old, possibly have to say that a 40-something year old woman with many of her own children and a beautiful alto voice in the choir, what could I possibly say or do that would give her a reason to feel that wonderful feeling of gratitude? That is when I realized for the first time, that things that I do in this life can help people to feel gratitude. That my actions, my words, my choices--they influence people. I could do things for others that could help them feel happier, kinder, and more loving, because these are all things that happen when we feel grateful.

Secondly I realized how wonderful I felt to be thanked. Wow. It made my day. And it made many days actually, because I left that card in my bathroom drawer so I could see it every day as I prepared to start the day. Sometimes middle school is rough, and knowing that someone appreciated something you did worked wonders on my self-esteem.

Now, if that card did wonders on my self-esteem, what could a simple thank you do for others? That's when I started to value the expression of gratitude. Someone once said that "feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." If I so enjoy feeling grateful, then the least I can do is pass that along to others myself. Oh how I love the season of thanksgiving.

Thank you Miss T, for being my sister. For always being an example for me. For being a daughter, sister, aunty, wife, and mother. Thank you for helping me pick out clothes, cook enchiladas, go on dates, and have fun at school. Thank you thank you!

Love, Aunty KK