2 G's for Tough D's

Not too long ago, I had a conversation with a young wife, and mother, who lost her husband, and the father of her children at a tragically young age.  This young wife's husband died way too soon to causes that mystified the imagination and that boggled all rational thought.  Incredibly, only a year after her husband's death, I found this young wife and mom to be remarkably up-beat and to be dealing with her personal crisis in the most compelling way.  I asked this young widow what her secret was.  She said this.  "Every day that is really tough, I try to make a concerted effort to experience to things":

Gratitude and Generosity

When I asked my friend to be more specific, she said; "Every day that you live, there is something you can be grateful for.  Even the worst days have things you can be thankful for.  Every day has a sunset, a sunrise, a beautiful mountain, a gorgeous ocean, a person who comes into your life at exactly the right moment, a meal that is simply delicious, a card that arrives in the mail at precisely the right juncture.  Gratitude!  And every day you can find some way in which to be generous.  Every day you have the ability and the chance to give something away, to be kind to someone who doesn't deserve it, to help out another person who is hurting, to offer support to someone who is in crisis, to offer a few dollars to an individual by the side of the road.  Gratitude and Generosity.  It's what has gotten me through the toughest days of the loss of my husband."

I have thought long and hard about my friend's recipe for coping with difficult situations.  2 G's (gratitude and generosity) for tough D's (days).  Could it really be as easy as that?  Is it possible that all of us, no matter what our difficulties are, can get through them with...

Gratitude and Generosity?

For the past three months or so, my family and I have been in a bit of a transition of our own.  I would never compare our challenges to the tragedy of losing a soul mate or a life partner.  However, we have been transitioning from our lives in Colorado Springs to our new life in California.  This transition has involved selling a house in Colorado Springs, my wife searching for new work in California, moving my daughter who is in kindergarten to a new school in California, saying goodbye to old friends, packing up boxes, and the list goes on.  Early on in my transition, I remembered the advice of the young mother who spoke to me many months before.  Remember…

Gratitude and Generosity.

I must say that I have found this advice to be invaluable.  Early on in our move from Colorado Springs, Star and I made a concerted effort to try to be - Grateful.  It wasn't hard.  We have so much to be grateful for.  Some days it was small things; a gorgeous mountain-scape, a fresh snow-pack at a ski-resort, a helpful real-estate agent, a delicious meal, a precious moment with our daughters.  Each time that I felt grateful I simply let out a quiet phrase under my breath, "Thank you God, Thank you!"  And then, we have tried to be - Generous.  We gave money away.  We gave away an old spinet piano we had had for years.  We gave away a couple of end tables.  We gave lots of baby clothes away.  We gave dining room tables away.  I have given away my favorite books.  We gave away a painting or two.  We gave all our garden tools away.   Actually, now that I think of it, we have given half of our life possessions away, in this transition.  We feel wonderful!

Gratitude and Generosity.

It really works.  I have actually come up with a helpful pneumonic for this little life axiom.  I say, "2 G's for Tough D's".  Two G's (Gratitude and Generosity) when you are having tough D's (days).  King David said, "I will praise the name of God with song, and I shall magnify Him with thanksgiving (gratitude)" (Psalm 69:30).  QOHELET, the mysterious "caller" and writer of Proverbs said, "Whoever is generous to the poor, lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed" (generosity) (Proverbs 19:17).

Try it the next time you are having a tough day…

2 G's For Tough D's!

All For Now,
GB