Learning Gratitude in a Tough Year BY JENNIFER BONN
It is hard to find lessons of gratitude when times are tough like they have been the last few years, but sometimes the hard lessons are the most important. I lost my beloved aunt and sister during the pandemic, so I know gratitude is not the first thing that comes to mind right now. However, if we reflect on the last few years, we can see that we have been handed a few lessons we can choose to ignore or accept. Let me tell you what I am grateful for at this moment because of these lessons. I hope this will make you realize we still have a lot to feel grateful for in our lives. • I am grateful for all the people who have stepped up to help those who have lost jobs, are hungry, ill, or need assistance in some way. I was so proud of our country, when I saw the outpouring of a response to need. • I am grateful COVID-19 has made me reorganize my priorities. I was spending too much time where it didn’t matter. I now spend more time with God and my family. I am more present for my family, and I am enjoying the now instead of worrying about what I’m going to do next. • I am grateful for the sense of peace I have because I choose to alter the negative, eliminate the wasted emotion of worry and focus on the positives. We cannot always control what happens, but we can control how we react to it. I always find calm through nature, exercise and music. • I am grateful the pandemic has focused our attention on health. Healthy bodies and healthy minds are the steps to a happy life. COVID-19 has led to more productive discussions about health.
• I am grateful we are talking about mental health, at a time when our mental health is taking a beating. • I am grateful that, as a nation, we are looking at some tough issues. Some of the discussions are ugly. If we can take out the emotions, maybe we can start to work together and heal some of the division. • I am grateful for the doctor who I called about the continued fatigue from COVID-19 who said, “Push yourself to the limit physically. Don’t let this thing win.” • I am grateful for the creativity and resilience the pandemic has taught me and others. As life and work were altered, we had to figure out plan B, and, if that didn’t work, we tried something else. I am thankful for the people who took the opportunity to do something different as a way to help others while reinventing themselves. • I am grateful for better communication at work and at home, because communication is crucial to our success. At school, I gave my students my number and I had theirs, so if anyone was remote and there was a problem, they could communicate it. I also did it because I knew they were scared, and I wanted them to feel connected. Anytime we can improve ourselves and learn, we should be grateful. Gratitude is an attitude, so decide whether you are going to see your life as a burden or a blessing. I hope you choose gratitude. Jennifer Bonn is a freelance writer in Kennesaw and a recently retired 40-year educator. Her book, “101 Tips to Lighten Your Burden,” was recently released and is available on Amazon.
AROUND ACWORTH | November 2021
37
