Gratitude

The best things in life are free

- Smt. Priyamvada Waghmare

In western culture, a special day called I‘Thanksgiving’ is celebrated once a year. Prayers are offered on this day for the harvest.

The entire family gathers for a sumptuous meal and elders are thanked for everything. In our Indian culture, on the other hand, we thank our elders on all special occasions and festivals, by touching their feet and seeking their blessings. We do not have a particular day for Thanksgiving.

Why ‘Thanksgiving’? Why the concept of gratitude? All this was explained to us by special guest Mr. Pervez Daruwala at our Couples Class monthly meeting. Mr. Daruwala, a spiritual heal ing counsel lor, mentor and Vastu consultant has guided many people into the secret of living life happily, contentedly and peacefully.

Gratitude is a feeling, an emotion and an experience of being in a state of thankfulness. When the mind is full of this feeling of graciousness, merciful appreciation, it makes one truly humble. If one were to look around and think of the things or the situations one could be grateful for in this moment, the list would be long and endless.

If there is a physical object like a crystal, we see the object, touch it, feel it, and then we can say a thank you. But gratitude is something that we cannot see or touch. So we often take it for granted and forget to feel that emotion within our hearts. Feelings of happiness, joy, gratitude, make one positive and help us to go on the journey of spiritual and philosophical life. Life gets enriched. Gratitude creates a space for grace of the divine. The more we stay in gratitude, the more we invoke divine blessings.