Today, bring to mind those who have been your teachers, who gave you something that you cherish today. These people can be relatives or friends or even people you never met but whose words you read or whose lives you read about and they changed your life. They can be alive, but for this exercise I’m choosing people who’ve gone before. (I may well be older than you, so I have a lot more people who have “gone before.”) In the next 24 hours, write in your journal what your “ancestors” gave you and what you’re grateful for from them. When you say your prayers, hold them in the Light. And when you go out into the world, use what they gave you. Pass on their wisdom so you become a mentor, too.
Here’s a bit of my list:
Dede — Thank you for giving me my spiritual life
Mom — Thank you for giving me courage and grit, and the gifts of performance and words
Dad — Thank you for giving me urban sensibilities, amazing experiences, and a zest for living
Mrs. Buckley — Thank you for giving me poetry and a love of the language
Malcom — Thank you letting me in on a world I’d have never seen without you
Edith, Helen, Gladys — Thank you for theosophy
Patrick — Thank you for sharing life with me, and thank you for Adair
Mrs. Gaylord — Thank you for believing in my writing, and for showing me grace and style
…. And on it goes.
posted October 26, 2009 at 5:23 pm
I love this idea… it will offer great food for thought for both written journaling and also art journaling. Thank you, thank you for this unique, intentional form of gratitude.
posted October 27, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Thank you for this. I’ve been thinking of this a lot recently as I’ve just lost a friend and I’ve been thinking what she gave to me in just those terms. Great timing!
posted October 27, 2009 at 3:24 pm
This gives me a lot to think about!
posted October 27, 2009 at 6:07 pm
You’d be a cherished person on my list; you’ve been an inspiration to me for years and I’m blessed to have you in my life. We were meant to ‘meet’.
posted October 30, 2009 at 1:16 am
Thanks for the comments, everyone. I appreciate you.