"The one with being grateful..."

Perhaps a more amiss, much scarcer feat; if not patience - is the state of being grateful. For it is a greater virtue to be grateful and thankful. While patience can be trained in oneself but being grateful; it is born from a rare realization and nurtured only by an undoubted faith. When one can be grateful, while practicing patience - these are individuals who really understand its true significance (of being grateful).

Perhaps that is also why we are oblivious of the many blessings we have in life; we may be patient, but not grateful. Or maybe we acquaint ourselves of being grateful, but what we actually perceive is just another form of patience - happy with what we have, but in hardship we tend to seek other means of replacing them. Which also, in reminiscence, explains why we take a lot of things for granted.

There are people who live in big mansions, drive luxurious cars, surrounded by powerful associates and eat grand banquets daily; yet they constantly find themselves filling a growing void. In their mansions and grand companions, they still experience loneliness; even with all the physical possessions and sustenance they consume, still fail to satisfy their cravings.

But on the flipside - there are people who live in one-bedroom, self-made huts. They persevere under the providence of humble rations, tough living conditions, and the only luxury they can appreciate is time. Yet these people are the happiest; every bit of food satiates them, and they lay down to rest every night content with a life they find - adequate.

Lately I noticed that I've repeatedly paraphrased myself of being grateful. I am grateful for a loving wife and family, wonderful friends and colleagues, adequate physical possessions and not to mention personal achievements. But I have come to realize that being grateful doesn't just mean that we acknowledge our blessings in life; but we make provisions to protect them, develop on them, and sustain of them. And sometimes, being grateful doesn't just mean to be appeased with all the good things in life, but also the not-so-good things as well.

We are all grateful to be wealthy. But to still be content even when we are stripped off it and can only afford the basics in life; because we only spend within our means and thus not wasteful - isn't that also being grateful?

We are all grateful to be have a big collection of friends. But to still be content even if we only have a few; because we cherish their presence in our lives to appreciate them more - isn't that also being grateful?

We are all grateful to be healthy. But to still be content even when we aren't; because we are burdened sickness we can endure - isn't that also being grateful?

We are all grateful to have parents who take care of us as they should. But to still be content even if they are old, weary and senile; because we can now return them the favor for their nurturing - isn't that also be grateful?

I am learning to believe that being grateful is a state of mind; it depends very much on how we view things and how we view our positions in life. To be grateful is also to retain patience, but to be patient doesn't necessarily mean we have attain gratefulness. To be grateful means not only realizing we are well-off, but also that we have the responsibility to not take them for granted. But probably what being grateful means most - is to accept every providence in our lives as a blessing; whether they appear to be as they are - or those which appear to be one, in disguise.

May we all, irrespective of our state of being; at our best or our worst, at our richest of poorest, at our highest or our lowest - put our heads up high, still smile and be grateful.

-JeP