In this excerpt from an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou talks about her understanding of gratitude https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACa4ZpigtZg
We also read this poem:
I Am Thankful For
by Nancy J Carmody
I am thankful for
…..the mess to clean up after a party
because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
…..the taxes that I pay
because it means that I’m employed.
…..the clothes that fit a little too snug
because it means I have enough to eat.
…..my shadow who watches me work
because it means I am out in the sunshine.
…..the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot
because it means I am capable of walking.
…..all the complaining I hear about our Government
because it means we have freedom of speech.
…..that lady behind me in church who sings offkey
because it means that I can hear.
…..lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing
because it means I have a home.
…..my huge heating bill
because it means that I am warm.
…..weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day
because it means that I have been productive.
…..the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours
because it means that I am alive.
We used these sources as a writing prompt. The following quotations might also serve this purpose:
Quotations:
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”― Epicurus
Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.” ― Oliver Sacks
“Take full account of what Excellencies you possess, and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them, if you had them not.”― Marcus Aurelius
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”― G.K. Chesterton
