The other day as we had done our grocery shopping and were pushing our cart towards our car, parked at the far far end of the lot; it, the cart, locked up as we were close to the car and would not move at all. Grocery stores in the US design their carts to do that , otherwise all their carts would get stolen, I learned it later.
Being old and feeble we were trying our best to drag the cart towards the trunk of the car − but heavy as it was − it would not move. Suddenly a big guy, strong muscular body, showed up from nowhere and lifted the cart and put it near the car and before we could thank him he vanished.
I am starting this one with this story because I want to write about Gratitude. This beautiful World of ours is full of good people who help others just to show their Gratitude. Saying thanks and helping others shows that, − that − what is called Gratitude.
Gratitude is what makes the World tick. It is the quality that made Michelangelo do what he did and it is the quality that made Mother Teresa do what she did − you got the drift. The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness is gratitude. And there are people ready to show appreciation for all that God does for them − from birth to living every day − with his creation − the Sun, the Stars, the Wind, the Surf, the Snow, the Rain and the laughter of a child and the taste of an Ice-cream − everything. I was wondering that muscular man was a little boy once and someone must have lifted him from his fall and trouble and he did what he did to show his gratitude and I am doing what I am doing to show mine.
This beautiful World of ours has many people who are extremely disadvantaged one way or the other, afflicted by − physical disabilities − blindness, deafness, lost limbs, disease, poverty and hunger. It is possible about 1 Billion people are like that − but from those "a person with no feet" climbed the Mount Everest and "a person with no vision" did it twice. They did it to show the World "Gratitude" for being alive and the Sun, the Stars, The Wind … God's beautiful creation. It is Gratitude and Gratitude alone that makes us do wonderful things selflessly; and we climb the Mountain for no other reason, but, because it is there. We help someone because he needs it − PERIOD. Because our Dad showed us the World on his shoulders, when we could not walk and our Mom nursed us for nine month selflessly and beautifully − that is why we show our Gratitude − and that and only that makes the World tick.
Why else a soldier dies protecting his comrades and his country, why else people drown while saving others from drowning − why else charity exists why else there is always a Mother Teresa lifting the dying lonely from the filthy streets and giving them dignity.
And whenever you see a red Rose in full bloom, or a Dog roll over to say hello to you, or a stream of water flow past continuously renewing itself for your pleasure, or a path beaten up yet ready to take your weight with pleasures or a painting of Krishna or Jesus just to make you see their smiling face with blessings all over − you got to smile and smile and smile and smile − to show your gratitude.
After all you are the one who too was shown the World on the shoulders of your Dad − when you could not walk and you too spent nine months in your Mom's womb − kept comfy and out of harm, You can at least smile − and thus make everyone else smile!
Gratitude is such a force it does make every one smile. Smile on.