Lessons in Gratitude

Mom, you were right.

I was raised in the Tenrikyo Church and one of the cornerstones of the teachings is gratitude. We are encouraged to express gratitude for our bodies, and to practice tanno or joyous acceptance for our experiences – good or bad.

Trying to teach a kid how to be grateful can be challenging.

I whined when I was asked to do the dishes, I complained when I was asked to clean up my room, and I out-right rebelled when I was told to get up in the morning and go to school (the only thing that worked were threats of cold water).

Beginning around 9 years old, I remember many of our conversations going something like this:

Mom – “Alisha, please go do the dishes.”

Alisha – “Ugh, can I do it later?”

Mom – “No, do it now.”

Alisha – “But my show isn’t over yet!”

Mom – “Alisha, you know there are people in the world who don’t even have arms to do the dishes, so get in there and be grateful for your arms by using them! I’m not going to ask you again.”

I slinked away from the TV, and went to start doing the dishes.

At the time I begrudgingly did as I was asked, but as I got older and more aware of the world around me, I began to really understand the necessity of practicing gratitude. Gratitude comes easily when things are going well, but when things are not so great, what do we have to be grateful for? Mom would say,

“You have two arms don’t you?”

“Yes”

“You have two legs don’t you?”

“Yes”

Well then, say “thank you, body” and get out there and be awesome.