“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” John F. Kennedy
There is nothing on the planet that my dad enjoys more than going to the movies. So one afternoon, when I decided to take a break from my marketing efforts, I invited him to go to a matinee with me. Honestly, you would have thought I told him he just won the lottery – he was that excited.
We had the theater to ourselves and watched an amazing movie until the very last credit. (I always like to make sure “no animals were harmed” in the making of the movie. Actually that’s just my excuse to stay until the end of the credits – I like them.) Afterwards, we decided to grab a bite to eat.
My dad also loves a good burger. Picking the biggest, messiest burger on the menu, he devoured every bit of it. The waiter came over and asked how our food was, my dad, with his limited vocabulary due to several strokes, just said, “Wow!” His facial expression said it all.
My dad is one of the most grateful people I know. Even with his speech challenge, he thanks people for everything they do for him. He not only speaks gratitude, he lives it. He is the epitome of gratefulness.
How often do you take a break from the busyness of your life and do something fun? Take the time to appreciate what you have, with the people that you love, and your life will be even richer than it already is.
