24 November 2012

Too Dang Thankful

In a way, Thanksgiving Day does not remind me of the things that I am thankful for but rather makes me realize how unthankful I am. Rather than reinforce a deep and strong understanding that I am very blessed, I am forced to look the truth of the matter in the eye—the truth that every single day that I live is sponge-bath of things, experiences, and relationships that I have no claim to because of any earnings of myself, and all while remaining unaware of the obligation I have to be thankful. At best, I could try to stake a claim to the wealth that I have by arguing the intrinsic value of human life, which then makes what I have not a blessing but the fulfillment of what is right and good for me. But when I propose that argument to myself, I am left with a hungry question, “why do you have such an intrinsic value while so many millions of others do not?” I have no answer to that question, and, indeed, there is no answer that I can rationally muster. The only thing to do is to change, to change and become thankful for the inexplicable prosperity that I have.

Prosperity does not make anyone thankful or even more apt to be thankful, it merely takes away their excuse to be unthankful. I have no excuse to be unthankful, and  no reason not to change and become thankful. I hope the same is true for you. I hope you are as thankful as you ought to be. I know that I have never been more thankful than I have a right to be; I’m not even sure if it is humanly possible to be too thankful.

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