Giving Thanks.

"Gratitude is a flower that blooms in noble souls." 

Pope Francis 

Cultivating gratitude is such an important task.  Parents first begin this cultivation in the simplest of ways such as encouraging their little ones to say "thank you".  But after our parents plant these seeds how do we continue to cultivate gratitude in our grown-up lives and how do we, as Pope Francis so beautifully says, foster a "noble soul"? 

I suppose I've been thinking about this question given that the holidays are swiftly approaching. During this time of year when we are encouraged to give thanks for all we have been given, we focus rather on what we don't have.  I find myself thinking much of the time, "oh we need that," or "oh I could use that," or "I wish that wasn't so expensive."  But this desire for more money or more things gives way to a darker type of desire, an acquisitiveness not limited to money or material goods. Now we desire talents we don't have, gifts others have been given that that we have not; our desire is not merely for a thing now, but for a thing someone else has.  This scares me, frankly.  It scares me because I know I fall victim to this train of thought so much myself.  Of all the times I've counted other peoples blessings, how often is it that I count my own?  How often do I focus on the positive in my life rather than the negative?  When I stop and think about this, I feel so embarrassed.  I know that the good in my life far far outweighs the bad.  And that being said, shouldn't I spend my days being grateful for every beautiful good gift I've been given rather than wasting time lusting over J. Crew catalogues and Pinterest boards, and wishing I was a world class pianist, athlete, and artist?  

Yes.  Yes I should.  

I'm not pulling a holier than thou card here.  I know that I'll always want to have more than I do.  I know that I will always struggle between being grateful and being ungrateful, and there will be many times when gratitude won't win out.  I know that just because I've written this trite blogpost, I'm not suddenly going to cast off my desires and become a Noble Soul in the blink of an eye.  But it's the struggle that counts.  

One of my goals from now on is to stop, at least for 60 seconds every day and think, "what do I have to be grateful for?" Not, "how am I luckier than other people," or "what gifts I have that others don't," but what should I be grateful for in my own beautiful life?  I have not answered all my questions;  I still don't know what a foolproof way to cultivate gratitude, or how to best foster a noble soul, but I know that I want to make an effort to pray more and through prayer open my eyes and recognize the  limitless love and generosity God showers upon me every day.  I want the flower of gratitude to bloom rather than wilt.