As the son of such a hardworking mother contributing every fiber in her body for my well-being and success, I knew that a part of me owed a huge apology. As I faced my head down and eyes tracking every footstep, I walked out of the kitchen calling my mom as she was diligently filing paperwork in her office. With my hands covering my whole face and tears ready to come out of my eyes, I replied, “Mom, I just wanted to say sorry for my disrespectful comments about your dish.”
As all sorts of papers and files were constantly being organized into cream colored manila folders, my mom replied, “Daniel, I know you didn’t like the dish from the very first bite. But, how many times have I constantly reminded you about realizing your situation compared to other kids who have nothing in their hands?” “I…. I just had a rough end to my week. I know that coming home to a homemade meal with hours of preparation in advance should only be admired in appreciation.” I replied as my face continually filled with tears. Having owed a huge apology, my mind was still lost. I knew that what’s done couldn’t be changed.
Reminiscing upon my actions for several minutes, a life lesson of gratitude hit me realizing the numerous times my mom would constantly remind me to be thankful for my living circumstances and treating everyday as if it was my last. Personally, gratitude wasn’t a major life lesson I wanted to learn that would be the critical divider between a child and an adult, but more importantly, I wanted to apply such actions throughout my daily life. Wanting to reimagine myself in the same situation as my mom served me her homemade beef stew, I would’ve received the food graciously with thankful arms. However, full of regret, I know that I could never do so knowing that I can never go back into the past and cover up a mistake that is to be forever grounded in my memory. Now pondering upon this moment, I realize how bitter and unappreciative I was taking all things for granted wishing life would always bring me happiness and go the way I had expected. From the small factors (i.e., clothing) to the big factors (i.e., a house), I have ultimately learned to appreciate all things granted to me knowing that I have something instead of nothing. I can look all over the world whether it’d be the infamous streets of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills or the bustling streets of New York City, there are plenty of people whose socioeconomic status may impede their ability to dream of having the life circumstances I possess.
All the small things that I should be grateful for are the big things not just poverty-stricken, but many other individuals can’t live without. A simple incident of being disgusted by my mom’s food is solely what many others are praying for. Having thrown away such blessings is equivalent to another person’s life completely wasted. I’ll admit that I still reminisce upon my unappreciativeness of my mom’s dish and have it serve as a reminder to appreciate all the small things in life, knowing that looking back these are the big things that changed who I am and the sense of gratitude I portray to others. From learning a life lesson of gratitude and seeing dozens of average humans just like me having their lives and blessings stripped away from them, I learned to not only be appreciative and cherish every single moment in life, but to also express gratitude towards others through giving graciously with open arms. To this day, I continue to be appreciative for all the blessings I’m given from others (i.e., food, shelter, clothing) to providing for charities, homeless shelters, and numerous acts of community service in order to return what I already have to others who have none.
To be frankly honest, all the disappointment, anger, and bitterness I had once portrayed has dissipated simply through an attitude of appreciation for everything I have and in everything I do. Not only do I want to understand the significance of being grateful and fostering it within my surroundings, but also spreading awareness to other readers and help them understand that those who are always happy aren’t the ones who are constantly grateful for what they have, but rather it’s the people who are the most appreciative for everything who experience happiness knowing that a simple expression of “thank you” is more than enough.
