being grateful…I mean GRATEFUL!

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Making a Connection

By: Jacob Ramon

“Give thanks in all circumstances…”

1 Thessalonians 5:18

I suppose it’d be appropriate to talk about this subject as we near the holidays–walking out the door, already you can see little emergences of seasonal tradition: clumps of stringed lights pulled out of garages, cardboard turkeys holding welcome signs, greeting cards, television specials, the works. All a subtle crescendo in preparation of gorging on your favorite dish, seeing the relatives, even going out of town for a nice weekend if you’re lucky.

For me, it’s the annual dinner at the grandparents’, catching up with the cousins I haven’t seen in months. I don’t remember there ever being a Thanksgiving where we strayed from this custom.  Every year we find ourselves holding hands in a circle around the kitchen, surrounding  a succulent lineup of food, while my grandpa or another elected relative says grace. Meanwhile we restless kids never cease to exchange funny looks while everyone’s eyes are closed, squeezing each other’s hands a little too hard, tapping feet to the agonizingly slow rhythm of the prayer in a pressurized silence, taunted with the promise of turkey and casserole.

I know. It’s pretty bad of us. As ill-mannered as it may have been, our little discreet tradition continued year after year without a second thought.  (We’ll deny it, of course.)

But as far as being grateful, and I mean GRATEFUL for things, I didn’t truly understand the feeling until the summer of 2011. My parents–reluctantly–had let me join a drum corps, which in a nutshell consisted of an entire summer spent touring parts of the U.S.  We  practiced in the sun all day, perfecting a 10-15 minute show, competing with the constantly evolving product in different states. My rations: water jug, some clothes, a box of crackers, and a whole lot of sunscreen.

I came back about thirty different shades of brown, bearing a hollowed-out sensation I wasn’t exactly familiar with. Suddenly the world, the tiniest morsels of luxury, became amplified to an extent that was almost excruciating. The palpability of everything, the idea of choice and selection, of privacy, of food you got to eat whenever you wanted, seduced me enough to draw forth from every breath a reason to give thanks for it. Hugging parents. Not raiding the fridge (as much). Doing something productive with free time. Needless to say, that Thanksgiving, I was the first one with eyes closed and head bowed, whispering to God my personal thanks before everyone else beat me to the punch.

Even a year later, as tan lines and seasons faded, those principles had a nifty way of keeping true to everyday life. When you hear the term “give thanks”, it is not simply plucking the word out of your mouth and handing it to God, obligated.  It’s an everlasting wellspring of bubbling, total gratitude. Let’s not forget that God gave us this life, and every little blessing that we’ve grown callous to from our routine indulgences.

This year, try something different. Break free by opening your eyes to the splendor of your circumstance. Swathe yourself in the bliss of the little things. Throw your gaze up at the sky in gratitude, and dare yourself to shout in thankfulness.

Then, maybe, you can get another serving of casserole.