After affirmation that I was ready to listen, he proclaimed to me ,“ I have an attitude of gratitude. I will be grateful for the moment as the moment is all that I have. I can’t change the past, the past is gone and I will never be able to get it back. I don’t have control over my future as I don’t even know how long I’ll be in here (prison). The choice to set me free is in someone else’s control. I don’t have a choice of what I eat today, what I wear tomorrow or even when I’m able to close my eyes to sleep tonight. But, I do have a choice over my attitude. I will have an attitude of gratitude each moment, each day. I will be grateful for those things that I do have, such as you Mom, my kids, my family, my life and my faith.
I pondered this conversation the next few hours that it took to drive back home. Wow! Here I was feeling sorry for myself having to drive the many miles to see him, taking time from my weekend. I was “put out” for not being able to clean, play, shop or whatever I could have chosen to do (or not to do) that day. My son, who hadn’t experienced freedom in over seven years, smiled with twinkling eyes and told me he had chosen to be thankful! For everything! My visit was not a gift to him, but a gift to me. Thank you son for stopping me in my day of self pity and wrong priorities and reminding me once again what is worthy for my thanksgiving.
My intentions that day were to grace him with MY Presence. How pathetic I felt at the end of the day as I replayed our conversation and realized, with tears rolling down my face, how my son taught me so much that day. Yes! I was going to have an Attitude of Gratitude even when life was raining.
Try it. It will put a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, too.
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:28
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