“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”–Marcus Tullius Cicero 106 BC – 43 BC, Politician, Orator and Philosopher
Wisdom from Dad
When I was a child just starting to develop my own since of the world and make my own friends, my dad said to me and as I type this, I can hear his voice, “be careful of the choices you make now, they will forever shape your life.”
And he continued, “When you get older, regardless of whether you see your life as good or bad you should be grateful for every bit of it. After all, it’s the choices you make that determine how your life unfolds. Your life is a miracle of your making. So be sure to make it what you want.”
Now I understand the universal laws. And looking back, I think ol’ pop was practicing the Law of Attraction long before most anyone else had a clue. He was one of the most inspiring men I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.
He didn’t have it easy growing up…in his youth, (long before I came along) he made a few bad choices and thankfully learned some very valuable lessons. And I think it was because of this, that he was always grateful for all he had. And he taught me all about gratitude.
I remember the year I asked if there really was a Santa Claus. Well, I thought my father would keel over. Not because it dawned on him I was growing up, but because how could I ask such a ludicrous question. Of course, there is a Santa Claus.
And I went on to say, that my friend Lynn said, her mom told her that Santa really didn’t exist. That Moms, Dads and other people just buy you gifts. Santa is just made up for little kids.
He sat back for a moment and then said, “Well to be honest there is no little jolly elf that lives at the North Pole and runs around in a red suit, driving a sleigh, and coming down chimneys.
But, Santa as we know him never was a real person. You see, it’s the ideal of Santa that’s real. The ideal that someone cares enough about you and loves you enough to want to give from their heart to you.”
Be Grateful for Giving
He continued, “It’s the act of giving love, and being selfless that makes us all Santa. So as long as you remain especially grateful for all you give and all you receive, the ideal of Santa will live inside you forever.”
Although this conversation happened some 36 years ago, and dad has been gone almost 30 years, I still remember his words as though he said them yesterday. Being grateful for the ability to give is more important than being grateful for what you get.
Our mission here is to live our lives happily and harmoniously so that we can be in a place of giving to others. If we’re not in a place of peace within ourselves then we have nothing to offer others. We only have the ability to be Santa when we can give selflessly. But first, we must be a bit selfish. We must make sure that our lives are in perfect harmony before we can give of ourselves.
Now is the right time to tap into all the “goodwill” energy others are projecting. Then relish in it, store it away for use all year long. If everyone would just live the ideal of Santa all year instead of just at Christmas, there really would be peace on earth and goodwill towards all.
