I’ve always been a little uneasy about the idea of “giving thanks.” There seems to be something contrived about it, something thought up. It seems as though giving thanks is something I do, and perhaps is not a genuine expression of who I am.
I prefer to rely on the idea of gratitude. To me, it seems to be more a way of being than a way of acting. It seems to involve a deeper level of engagement. It is an expression of who I am.
I think it is wholesome and socially beneficial to express thanks to someone, to act thankful, to thank individuals. But I also want to be someone who lives in a state of gratitude. I want to have a disposition of gratitude. I want to have an attitude and openness that is grateful for whatever I experience, grateful for whatever exists.
Gratitude is not about something that I do but is something that I am. It is an expression of being mindful, attentive, perhaps even absorbed. Gratitude is a recognition of what “is” and does not attend to what “is not”. It notices what is present without paying attention to what is absent. Gratitude evolves from the old notion of a glass being half full, not half empty.
I was talking with someone yesterday about how much fun it was to have a huge breakfast with Lily upon her return from Oregon. The comment I heard was “That must have cost a lot.” I was clearly taken up with gratitude for Lily’s return and the fun of going out for a big breakfast, not with noticing the cost of it all.
I think that gratitude is an aspect of the 4 Noble Truths. The 4 Noble Truths point out the unease that emerges when I attempt to avoid what I dislike and grasp for what I like. It is part of the balance of simply seeing things as they really are, and perhaps getting a little absorbed with that reality. Gratitude emerges from a heart that is open to things as they are, not from the notion of how I want them to be.
For me, gratitude comes naturally from being able to recognize and embrace the deep value of whatever occurs. It is a simple expression of insight into the marvelous nature of things, of people, of happenings.