know how to say thank you

John Moon Rengel

One of the great dimensions in people’s lives that also contains a dose of spirituality and religiosity is gratitude, the ability to always say thank you, not only as a precept to be pronounced, but as a way of being and living, is few words is an attitude of life.

To begin with, I want to share with you this little story found on the internet:

“Once upon a time there was a boy who fell into the deep waters of the ocean while playing on the pier. An old sailor, without thinking of the danger, jumped into the water, dived to find the boy and finally, exhausted, pulled him out of the water.

Two days later the mother came with the child to the dock to meet the sailor. When she found him she asked him:

– “Are you the one who jumped into the water to rescue my son?

“Yes, I am,” he replied. Her mother told him:

– “And where is my son’s hat?” (Félix Jiménez, Piarist)

The story reveals two very clear attitudes. The one about the sailor who risks his life to save a child who succumbs in the stormy waters of the ocean. His expertise and knowledge led him to launch himself without mishap, without hesitation, but with impetus, since it was not just about the child, but about his life and that of his family, who, absent the act, would have lamented the consequences. . The sailor is the hero.

The second attitude is that of the child’s mother, who dressed in “I don’t know what”, when meeting the sailor, does not thank him, but claims the child’s cap. Without a doubt, the mother’s eyes were not in the life of her little one, but in a garment, in the goods. In the essence of her mother was not the capacity for gratitude and recognition of the sacrifice of the other, the arrogance of her way of living prevailed over the risky heroism of the humble man of the sea.

We must always give thanks for the extraordinary events that come into our lives, there are days when we receive so many good, proactive, encouraging things; however, we do not know how to be pleasant and grateful with the gifts, with the goods that we receive. I wonder, if the stars came out only one night a year, would we all spend hours that night without sleeping to be able to contemplate them? I do, and ecstatic at the magnitude of its beauty and display in the firmament, I would bow down reverently to the creator, owner, maker and orderer that what we have.

In this society in which we have a space to live, work and serve, it is worthwhile, for a moment a day, a month, a year, or perhaps in our entire life story, to pause everyday life and look at ourselves. ourselves, to look around us and discover what we have and have received in order to know how to say thank you, to recognize that, as limited beings, it is not all due to our merits, but that it emanates from divine inspiration whose gaze is present to launch itself towards us and save us . We should not worry about the cap, but look at the transcendental, life.

know how to say thank you