感恩一切(Thanks for Everything)

感恩一切(thanksforeverything)

mywife,shirley,andihavegoneonvacationstoaquietbeachinsouthwesternfloridaformostofourmarriedlife.ifthatbeachcouldtalk,itwouldtellofteenagenewlywedswhosunnedandwrote"iloveyou"onitssands.itwouldtellofalittlegirlwitheyesthecoloroftheseagatheringseashellsandofthreewildboysleapinganddivingintothesurf.itwouldtellofjoyousvisitsovertheyearsfromfriends,parents,grandparents,newbridesandgrooms--andnowgrandchildren.thebeachwouldtellglorioustalesofwarmthandgratitude.

butirealizedonedaythatihadrarelyexpressedmygratitudetotheonewhodlivedthoseyearswithme.onour40thweddinganniversary,shirleyandiwalkedagainthefamiliarmarginofthesea.itoldherthenhowthankfuliwasthatshesharedmylife.

wedonthavetowaitforanniversariestothanktheonesclosesttous--theonessoeasilyoverlooked.ifihavelearnedanythingaboutgivingthanks,itisthis:giveitnow!whileyourfeelingofappreciationisaliveandsincere,actonit.sayingthanksissuchaneasywaytoaddtotheworldshappiness.www•

afewyearsago,ayoungwomanfromaneighboringtownwonascholarshiptoaprestigiouscollege.althoughtheinner-cityhighschoolsheattendedwasplaguedwithproblems,sheovercamethemandexcelled.whenshegraduated,shecommendedtheoften-malignedschoolforitschallengingcoursesandherteachersfortheirspecialinterestandencouragement."icantsayenoughgoodthingsabouttheschoolandtheteacherswhogavemesomuchofthemselves,"shesaid."ishallbeeternallygratefultothem."

sayingthanksnotonlybrightenssomeoneelsesworld,itbrightensyours.ifyourefeelingleftout,unlovedorunappreciated,tryreachingouttoothers.itmaybejustthemedicineyouneed.

beforea.j.croninbecameabestsellingauthor,hewasadoctor.oncehetoldaboutacolleaguewhogaveanunusualprescriptiontopatientsafflictedwithworry,fear,discouragementorself-doubt.thedoctorcalledithisthank-youcure."forsixweeksiwantyoutosaythankyouwheneveranyonedoesyouafavor.andtoshowyoumeanit,emphasizethewordswithasmile."withinsixweeksmostofthedoctorspatientsshowedgreatimprovement.

ofcourse,therearetimeswhenyoucantexpressgratitudeimmediately.inthatcasedontletembarrassmentsinkyouintosilence--speakupthefirsttimeyouhavethechance.

irecentlyreturnedhometomontpelier,ohio,forashortvisit.memoriesofmyboyhoodfloodedbackasiwalkedthefamiliarstreets.thenisawmrs.bible,andmymindflashedbacktohighschool.

iwasafreshman,moreinterestedinsportsthanschoolwork,andiwasfallingbehindinmylatinclass.thenvioletbible,aneighborwhowasaschoolteacher,foundoutaboutmyproblem."oh,latinsgreatfun,"shetoldme."comeovertonightafterdinnerandillshowyou."forthenextseveralweeks,shetutoredmeuntilicouldconjugatewiththebestofthem--well,almost.anyway,ipassed.atthecallowageof14itseemedperfectlynaturaltomethataworkingwifeandmotherhadnothingbettertodoafteraharddaysworkthantutormeinlatin.

nowasisawher,irealizedwhatanuncommonsacrificeithadbeen.and,afterallthoseyears,itoldherso!"whatyoudidwaswaybeyondthecallofduty,"isaid."thankyou."iwasrewardedwithasurprisedsmileandasparkleinhereyes.

eachhumanbeingisyearningforkindwordsofappreciation.indecember1991,17-year-oldcandibrownscaroverturned;theroofcollapsedandcrushedherskull.thecrewsofenginecompany8andmed15ingrayson,ga.,rushedhertogwinnettmedicalcenter.doctorstoldherparentstopreparefortheworst.butcandisurvived.ayearlaterthefamilyservedaholidaydinnertothegwinnettcountyfirefightersandemergencymedicaltechnicians.duringdinnercandi,whosegoalistowalknaturallyagain,rosepainfullyandsaid,"thankyouforhelpinggodsavemylifeandgivingmeasecondchance.iloveyou."