Gratefulness is Love

My granny used to say "One who does not know how to look back won't get anywhere".She had a lot of adopted children whom she helped through their education and most of them ended up doctors or dentists.

There is an expectation in most Asian families that one remembers the "old people" who nurtured and slaved so that you would get to be a success. A "success" is usually someone with a useful career and who has attained a certain stature in society.

I will call my "cousin" Malou, who became a dentist and who sometimes, forgot to write her a letter or send her a card. It wasn't just the "gift" or "card" that meant ANYTHINg to her but the thought which conveys " I am grateful. I remember you and I thank you."

Then there were "others" who run to her during their direst needs and she would ALWAYS be "giving" no matter how sad the sob story (or at times, so untrue). Annoyed, I would tell her that generosity has it's faults too and she would say,"When you give one, like a seed, that will get you a harvest of a hundred".

The sad cut however is she was poor the last days of her life but she was happy. I reminded her of ALL those who seemed to have forgotten her birthday and Christmas and she would say again :

"One who does not know how to look back won't get anywhere"

And so it was. Those who had forgotten her were rich indeed but they had messy lives, several husbands and problem kids.Which means, that wasn't REAL "success" -- they had money and nothing else.

Gratefulness is a trait from the heart.It is remembering with LOVE those who made you what you are. It is MORE so being THANKFUL to God that everyday you are alive and your personal world is not too bad.

Gratefulness is giving love back -- that's if you have it in your heart. After all, you can't give anything you never had in the first place.