Traditionally November is the time of year when we focus on what we are thankful for in our lives. This year has been hard in many ways, and harder for some than others. Many have lost loved ones or lost time with them. Things that bring us joy have been canceled, postponed, or altered. Similarly, our Thanksgiving celebrations may look different this year, but we still have the opportunity to choose gratitude.
I recently read Viktor Frankl’s classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning. As a psychologist and Holocaust survivor, he shared his perspective on the human experience of suffering. This passage struck me:
“We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts, comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
I found it such a profound message, that no matter the circumstance, we are free to choose our attitude. He goes on to say that it is by no means easy, and many succumb to the pressures of their environment and lose themselves. But the fact that some are capable of preserving their peace, generosity, joy, and kindness in the midst of extreme suffering shows that it is possible.
For me, choosing gratitude means contemplating the people and things in my life that sustain me and bring me joy, pleasure, and comfort. Digging deeper, I can be grateful for the things in my life that I wouldn’t have chosen but have brought about some positive change in my person or experience. I can also be thankful for the things which I have been spared.
Choosing gratitude means emphasizing the good, even though the bad is also real, and at times, overwhelmingly present. Frankl’s book reminded me of this vignette from another author who survived the Holocaust, Corrie ten Boom. Upon realizing their camp barracks were infested with fleas, Corrie nearly despaired, but her sister Betsie reminded her of the Scripture passage 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 which concludes with an exhortation to give thanks in all circumstances. Betsie earnestly thanked God for the fleas, though she didn’t see any apparent blessing in having them share their living quarters. Weeks later she found out the reason they had so much freedom in their barracks, and it was because the guards were afraid of the fleas!
Do you have a favorite way of expressing gratitude? There are so many different ways: prayer, singing, journaling, writing notes, giving gifts, sharing your experience with a friend, leaving a tip, giving a good rating or review, paying it forward, and many more. I hope you will find a way of sharing your gratitude with others in this season. As William Arthur Ward wrote, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”
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