“Thankful” made for the Global Art Swap/heART Exchange by Lori K.

What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude. –Brene Brown

A couple of posts on Instagram resonated with me this morning. One, I might share another time, but the post by my IG friend, @gallionista, bears repeating today. We live in a world where people feel they are “entitled” to this and that, so her message is timely.

[…] To be content is a privilege and a delicate matter that must be curated and planned and protected.  Show gratitude for all the [stuff] that makes you happy: say thank  you; tell a person; write about it; paint a mural; cook a meal; hug for five seconds longer.  Just show that you understand the complexity of what is temporary, fragile, or gifted.  [Emphasis mine].

When we realize NONE of our comforts are guaranteed–none of them are ours by “right,” that all of them are privilege and fortune and gift and blessing and grace, that “here today, gone tomorrow” is a reality for many and can be for us too–we’ll begin to grasp what it means to be thankful, to be grateful for ALL we have.

Take a moment today and begin a list of all your privileges and whisper a prayer of gratitude for each.and.every.one.