We know this.
It’s a practice we have been given. It works at any moment, especially in the
one in which we’ve sunk into a crevasse – suddenly, and without any
self-extraction gear. But with practice, with time, with a suspension of
disbelief – even, we can slowly reel ourselves back up to the safe surface of
equanimity…just by using this one simple tool. The more specifically we express
ourselves in this list, the more representative it is of our current landscape,
and the quicker the balm it offers will heal us (that is, restore us to
wholeness. Or “balance,” if you prefer.).
The gratitude
list.
It
truly can be done anywhere, with as little as a writing implement and a writing
surface:
pen and journal
page
stick and sand
finger and paint
keyboard strokes
and Word document
adze and tree
stump
paintbrush and
canvas
chalk and rock
scalpel and clay
thread and
fabric
seeds and mud
And it does not
have to be a literal, written list. What about offering:
a snug embrace
for a dear friend
the gift of a
fallen leaf
a
beautifully-crafted mandala on the beach
love notes (or
cherishing one you’ve received)
a lit candle to
honor somebody
hand-baked
brownies
your unique and
unfettered smile
quiet
companionship to someone who is hurting
a whispered
prayer
the beautiful
photograph you just took
…
These, too, and
an infinite number more, are all expressions of gratitude. These actions bestow
gratitude. They are no less specific than a written list. No less potent than a
scribed (or scribbled) diary entry. Everybody who is honest will admit to
falling, now and then, into that narrow, cold, dark crevasse; gratitude equals
action, compassionate action ameliorates pain – our own and others’.
Enjoy creating
your own gratitude list AND gratitude offerings!
All blog images created & photographed by Jennifer J. Wilhoit unless otherwise noted. Please circulate images with photo credit: "©2016 JenniferJWilhoit/TEALarbor stories. AllRightsReserved."
