Gratitude in a Time of Pandemic

Wherever we call home – perhaps a house, apartment, maybe even a hospital bed – there are always things to be grateful for. Another word to describe gratitude is “thankfulness”. Gratitude can be defined as “the expression of appreciation of what one has.

It is a recognition of value independent of monetary worth. Spontaneously generated from within, it is an affirmation of goodness and warmth”.

Gratitude reminds us of how special and fortunate we all are, even during the stressful and trying times all of humanity is facing today. Before going to bed tonight, try to think of three reasons of your own to be grateful. To help you get started, here are a few suggestions:

• Gratitude for the healthcare heroes who put their own safety at risk to care for total strangers simply because it is what they do.
• The fact that a pandemic like this is unusual, we are lucky that there are people in the medical and scientific communities who devote their lives to research, prevention and come together and solve issues like this when they arise.
• Gratitude for loved ones and a time to consider what really matters to us.

As you continue to this daily practice, the things you are grateful for will become more specific to your own life. Life will return to normal, may be a new kind of normal.

In times of crisis we need to remind ourselves why it is important to celebrate every day and share our love with family, friends and neighbors. Times of crisis also remind us of

how lucky we are and how important it is to take care of ourselves and our communities.

Let us be remember the lessons this crisis has taught us so that we can continue to strive towards a better tomorrow.

Kathy Von Hurst