Have an attitude of Gratitude

It was the day after Hurricane Jeanne, Sherelle stared at the wreckage of her home tears streaming down her face. She looked at the place where her computer desk once stood. The desk was crumbled to the floor with the computer on top of it, still wet from the flooding. She sloshed through the water, which was still on the floor to her bedroom. All of her bedroom furniture was destroyed! The closet that her clothes hung in had only a few pieces left. The wall behind it was totally gone and she could actually see outside as several of the walls of her house were gone carrying most of the contents of the house in it’s wake. Sherelle’s silent tears turned to loud sobs as she felt her mother’s arms around her. She turned and put her head on her mother’s shoulder as she cried. “What are we going to do Mom?” She asked through her tears. “Everything’s gone! We have nothing left.”

If like Sherelle you are facing a devastating situation you may be wondering how do you get pass that moment of despair and trust once more in the God you think allowed it to happen. As impossible as it may seem to put it all behind you, the best way to get past something devastating is to have an attitude of gratitude. Instead of thinking about everything that happened to you or everything that you lost, think about what you have left that you can be grateful for.

In the midst of your devastating situation are you able to take comfort in the arms of your family? Be grateful for family!

Do you have a home, a bed to sleep in every night? Be grateful that you still have a roof over your head!

Do you have friends who are true blue and always there for you? Be grateful for friends!

There were times after the hurricane when I sat in my dark house, trying to do something by candlelight that I started to get upset and depressed. I was accustomed to what I thought of as necessities, electricity, running water, telephone, my computer… But now, I had to do without it and believe me it wasn’t easy. However, every time I started to get depressed I had to remind myself to have an attitude of gratitude because, while I was sitting in a “dark” house there were some who no longer had one. While I couldn’t use my computer I still had one.

Being grateful in devastating times is hard but necessary. Having an attitude of gratitude will help you to keep your perspective and not sink into despair or depression, even in the most difficult situations.

“Don’t cry sweetie,” Sherelle’s mother whispered, tears streaming down her own face “Well be fine…” “Yes, we’ll be fine,” a deep voice interrupted as Sherelle’s dad came in and wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter. “I’m just grateful that we’re alright and we still have each other.”

Girl Talk Magazine
Dec 04/Feb 05