19 Aug Gratitude: Lessons from Piglet
“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”
Of the many profound lessons to be learned from A.A. Milne stories and poems my mother read to me as a child, gratitude tops the list. Gratitude divides people into two camps: the contented “I’m so thankful’s” and the cheated “if only I could’s”.
One of my favorite ways to cultivate the elusive “attitude of gratitude” is to engage in an exercise attributed to St. Ignatius called the Daily Examen. It goes like this: Each day, I think back over the past twenty-four hours to reflect on all the big and little things for which I am thankful. This helps me focus on God’s present love and blessings in my life instead of what’s missing. And tomorrow? I’ll be saying thank you more often than today. In person and in prayer.
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