Gratitude Has Rich Rewards

One of my daughter’s first sentences as a toddler was, “Thank you.” Her exact pronunciation, as I recall, was “tattoo,” and she said “tattoo” on a regular basis—her mom and dad made sure.

Regrettably, thankfulness is a vanishing art these days. All across the fruited plain, griping has become the national pastime.

Certainly, we all have things we could gripe about—nobody’s life is perfect, after all. But there are enriching rewards in the simple act of gratitude.

Author Melody Beattie describes it beautifully: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”

Of course, ingratitude has “rewards,” too—but they aren’t so enriching.

Young or old, prosperous or poor, ungrateful people lead miserable, defeated lives. The more they’re given, the more thankless and greedy they become.


In his devotional, “The Attitude of Ingratitude,” Woodrow Kroll tells the story of a tourist, visiting a certain part of Mexico where hot springs and cold springs run side by side.

Houston Woman Magazine

While watching the peasants boiling their laundry in the hot springs and rinsing them in the cold, the tourist commented to his Mexican guide, "I imagine they think Mother Nature is pretty generous to supply such ample, clean, hot and cold water side by side for their free use."

With a sigh the guide replied, "No, Señor, there is much grumbling because she supplies no soap."

At best, ingratitude can become a habit, difficult to break. At worst, it can become a way of life, where nothing is ever enough.

I, for one, have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season, and I refuse to focus on anything negative in my life. I have health, food, clothes, shelter, family, friends and peace of mind. Indeed, it is all I need and much, much more than I deserve.

So, from grateful me, to generous you, Lord, Tattoo.

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Linking to Spiritual Sundays, my favorite weekend blog.