The Need To Express Heartfelt Gratitude
Gratitude is spontaneous thankfulness to someone who has benefitted us in any manner.It springs from the heart and is sometimes expressed in words and at other times through gestures and actions. It is much more than the usual expression of thanks uttered habitually as a matter of course in a casual manner in the course of our daily interactions. When we are grateful to someone we remain always keen to return the compliment in all possible ways. It is a basic human emotion rooted in ethics and values which make us better human beings. It is highly essential for conducive domestic, social, national and international relations.
Gratitude is spontaneous thankfulness to someone who has benefitted us in any manner.It springs from the heart and is sometimes expressed in words and at other times through gestures and actions. It is much more than the usual expression of thanks uttered habitually as a matter of course in a casual manner in the course of our daily interactions. When we are grateful to someone we remain always keen to return the compliment in all possible ways. It is a basic human emotion rooted in ethics and values which make us better human beings. It is highly essential for conducive domestic, social, national and international relations.
September 21 has been designated as World Gratitude Day to call our special attention as we are too selfish, indifferent or plain forgetful to express our gratitude to others. We do not count the innumerable blessings of God showered on us. We do not exhibit due gratitude to parents, teachers and those who benefit us. Shakespeare composed a complex cosmic tragedy on human relationship in King Lear on the filial ingratitude of the two daughters of the old king.Innumerable scripts of films and fiction have been written on human ingratitude. But still we are no better than what we were before as human memory is short, particularly when it comes to remembering those who help us in time of need.
Why are we so ungrateful?
Heart of hearts, we are basically egoistic. We feel that by showing gratitude to those who benefit us we would somehow compromise ourselves. Hence we find an easy escape route to be ungrate ful with a fault-finding attitude. And any fool can find fault with others.
Heart of hearts, we are basically egoistic. We feel that by showing gratitude to those who benefit us we would somehow compromise ourselves. Hence we find an easy escape route to be ungrate ful with a fault-finding attitude. And any fool can find fault with others.
Once, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, a great educationist and benefactor of the poor was told that someone had abused him. He was surprised and said, “I do not remember to have benefitted him in any way . Why should he speak ill of me?
Only those whom I help speak ill of me.“
Only those whom I help speak ill of me.“
He never expected gratitude from anybody and profusely helped those in need or anybody approaching him for help without expectation of any kind of return.
When Jesus acquired divine healing powers he cured 10 lepers. Leprosy was an incurable disease those days.
Nine of them instantly left the place to rejoice without even thanking him. Only one of them waited to thank him.After sometime Jesus turned back and asked him, “Why are you waiting?“ He replied, “To thank you for divine healing.“
most humility Jesus said, “Don't With utmost humility Jesus said, “Don't thank me. Thank God, because His healing power has worked through me.“
Like Jesus we must not expect gratitude from others in return. But when our turn comes, following the example of the 10th man, we must exhibit the same to others in words and deeds.
In India we have a rich tradition of expressing gratitude not only to our superiors through suitable gestures, we also pay due regard to animals and even inanimate objects from which we derive benefits. This has in many cases taken the form of nature and animal worship.We worship cows as Gomata and rivers as mothers, mountains as fathers, trees and plants as nurturing deities. These are all expressions of gratitude to something from which we derive benefit.
Let's reinforce our rich tradition of expressing gratitude whenever called for and be grateful for all that we have received. (September 21is World Gratitude Day.)
