Unexpected Gratitude.

Gratitude is a peculiar thing: often, it’s the very thing that we thought was a problem that we become most grateful. Likewise, that which we strive for, believing that it will somehow add value, often proves to be a curse. The reality is we rarely know what we actually want until we come face to face with an inescapable situation. In the event that we have worked to established a thing, one that does not prove to be what we really wanted, we suddenly wish for something else - usually something simple and more manageable. On the other hand, those moments and objects that we come to hold most dear, are those which spring upon us in ways that we never would have expected. We strive to control the factors surrounding our traditions, rituals, and memories, but it’s when we take a step back and observe that which is, rather than that which we desire to be, that we understand the less control we attempt to invoke, the more pleasant and more palatable the result. Life is not a sequence of planned events, rather it is a vast series of unexpected realities, that are, at times, influenced by our choices and desires. More than authors, we are interpreters translating the signals and stimuli that cross our sensory paths. The more we can speak to these events, the more we may feel a sense of control. But, every event and experience that we encounter contains the predictable inevitably of the unpredictable. We never know when the events before us will drastically shift in a different direction. It is in these moments that are gratitude is tested. Usually, we show our appreciation when things turn out the way we hoped they would, or at least close. But this is not so much gratitude as it is a sigh of relief that we still have control in our lives and experiences. True and pure gratitude is a much different sort. The truly gracious person appreciates whatever gift the moment produces, understanding that life is the giver of the gifts that we need. Since need is different that want, we are not always enthusiastic about the reception, but grateful nonetheless. There is a common misconception that gratitude should be accompanied by happiness in the moment, but this is not necessarily the case. One should show gratitude even in the midst of despair. Every event in life is a lesson to be learned, and our gratitude should focus on this reality. We may not be happy about the lesson, and most probably won’t be, for if we were happy about it, it is probably a lesson that we have already learned. We are not happy about that which has yet to be learned, because we are aware that this quality is a substance to which our soul is void. This is not a realization that brings about the emotion of happiness. However, for the sojourner who desires to grow, this understanding should produce gratitude in the fact that life has opened a path toward growth in a direction that we were not headed before.