Tuesday, November 16, 2010

GRATEFUL FOR AN UNEXPECTED E-MAIL

Most e-mails fall under the category of “junk mail” for which we do not reserve much gratitude. Others urge us to participate in political activity; some are personal correspondences from friends and relatives for which we can feel grateful and still others represent grandiose offers of great profit and success, which can lead to much misery if we succumb to such advertising seductions.

One e-mail that I received without warning brought me a full measure of gratitude. It was not one that informed me of my extraordinary good luck in winning a lottery, a luxury home, boat or automobile. Rather, it was a communication that validated my efforts in trying to raise the consciousness of people of the utter joy and blessing accompanying the capacity to feel grateful.

A chaplain had made use of some material from my book-“I Think therefore I Am- Gateways to Gratefulness,” especially several of the exercises available to implement the awareness of gratitude into our daily lives.


" I work with a woman with emotional issues who is in need of surgery. While it appears to be relatively minor surgery, she is still very frightened of not waking up from the surgery. We wound up talking about what a gift it is to wake up each day and I directed her to the mindfulness practices that you suggest in your book. She felt much more at peace at the end of our visit. I also used passages of your book today as I led a group of seniors in a discussion on this theme. I told them that I was going to write you, and one said: "Everybody likes a thank you if they have done something to help you."

What a remarkable gift! Thank you.