Just Because …
by Leslie Sann
The issue is not the issue. The issue is how you relate to the issue.
~ Ron Hulnick
Wowie … I feel great. I just sent my sister flowers. It’s not her birthday. It is not any occasion at all. It is a Just Because gift.
A Just Because gift? What’s that?
Just because I am grateful she’s alive. I’m grateful she is part of the fabric of my life. I am grateful for her presence and all that has been revealed to me as a result of the gift of the relationship we have.
And — if I am asked to put substance to my gratitude — she’s the one who takes the brunt of caring for our mother. That is what gave me the impetus to reach out in gratitude — the awareness of how much she does for us.
I continue to be amazed at how gratitude changes me. Gratitude lifts me out of the world of the diddly-do-details that she and I go through ongoing regarding our mother’s care. When I am grateful, my focus is on my sister’s willingness to show up and contribute.
What if she wasn’t there?
One day I had a moment where I pondered that. What if she was not in my life? What would my life be like? Kinda-like the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. Instead of me being Jimmy Stewart, I took my sister out of the picture and looked at how my life would change. That imagining had me realize how much she adds to my life — thus my grateful heart.
The power of gratitude is such that in an instant my life altered. My sister is the same as she has been. What is different is that I have changed how I relate to her, how I hold her in my life, in my heart.
I invite you to play with me. Imagine waking up tomorrow and discovering that the people who are part of the fabric of your life were no longer there. How would your life be different? What would be missing? What would now be required of you?
Perhaps during this season of celebration we could choose to be grateful for the gift of the people who contribute to us. Maybe we could express that thankfulness by offering it as a gift. Picture a note of gratitude under the Christmas tree, or in someone’s inbox, or mailbox. How might that be received? What would it be like for you to receive a note saying how much you matter?
Oh … the flowers have arrived… from my sister: “Thank u SOOOOOOO much for my beautiful flowers.” Can you feel her happy?
Yours from Planet Joy,