When I wrote the word Gratitude on the white board this morning, the kids immediately said “When you’re thankful for something!” The word “appreciate” came up, too. I asked the kids to close their eyes and think of something they were grateful for. Then I asked them who they were grateful to. It occurred to me when I asked it, that Gratitude is an emotion felt in relation to someone else. You can feel Joy by yourself, but you feel Gratitude towards someone, for something they’ve done for you or given you. Then I asked them what the emotion really felt like. Their answers pleasantly surprised me: warm, soft, like a hug.

While doing this exercise with the kids, I closed my eyes, too. I was overwhelmed with the thoughts and feelings that sprung to mind. I am grateful to so many people for so many things, I can hardly begin to tease something out of the cloud to identify, much less put them in any order. I feel gratitude towards just about everyone, even strangers, for their part in the dance that creates the world I live in and the life I experience. I couldn’t possibly express it adequately – “Thank you” just never seems to be enough.