Gratitude Expressed: Serving Others
It’s easy to get caught up in ther in the Thanksgiving holiday vibe by saying fleetingly, “I’m grateful.” The phrase is common and rolls easily off the tongue. But words without actions don’t mean much. One of the best ways we can express gratitude is in giving to others. Consider writer E. Jane Rutter’s suggestion that we contemplate the concept of giving. She writes, “To give ourselves requires us to let go of ego, replacing it with love of other. Pure love is serving the other.” Such sound advice for those of us in the field of education!
CREDIT: Franklin D. Ross, Associated PressI think most about those who are vulnerable. Children and adults who may be different from the mainstream: those who think differently; who interact with others differently; who communicate differently; those who work with marginal communities. Oftentimes, they are pushed to the side and feel like they don’t belong. I wonder how I can serve them better? What steps can I take to push my needs and wants aside to better give those who are different than me what they need most? Because I experience gratitude in my life, how can that gratitude manifest itself in concrete ways as I strive to better serve others?
CREDIT: Matt Zalaznick, District AdministrationWhen I make my gratitude real by serving, the joy I experience is immeasurable. Being in a position to seek others in need and to help them live a better, more fulfilling life is one of the keys to my own happiness. I am able to recognize the simple things that I take for granted: belonging to a loving family; having a good education; having a job, a home, enough food to eat. When I manifest my own gratitude through service to others, I ensure that I am participating in something bigger than myself; that my life will count for something more than my own needs. This Thanksgiving, I am most grateful for the insight and ability to manifest thankfulness by doing something for someone else.
