感恩一切(Thanks for Everything)

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感恩一切(thanksforeverything)

mywife,shirley,andihavegoneonvacationstoaquietbeachinsouthwesternfloridaformostofourmarriedlife.ifthatbeachcouldtalk,itwouldtellofteenagenewlywedswhosunnedandwrote"iloveyou"onitssands.itwouldtellofalittlegirlwitheyesthecoloroftheseagatheringseashellsandofthreewildboysleapinganddivingintothesurf.itwouldtellofjoyousvisitsovertheyearsfromfriends,parents,grandparents,newbridesandgrooms--andnowgrandchildren.thebeachwouldtellglorioustalesofwarmthandgratitude.

butirealizedonedaythatihadrarelyexpressedmygratitudetotheonewho'dlivedthoseyearswithme.onour40thweddinganniversary,shirleyandiwalkedagainthefamiliarmarginofthesea.itoldherthenhowthankfuliwasthatshesharedmylife.

wedon'thavetowaitforanniversariestothanktheonesclosesttous--theonessoeasilyoverlooked.ifihavelearnedanythingaboutgivingthanks,itisthis:giveitnow!whileyourfeelingofappreciationisaliveandsincere,actonit.sayingthanksissuchaneasywaytoaddtotheworld'shappiness.•

afewyearsago,ayoungwomanfromaneighboringtownwonascholarshiptoaprestigiouscollege.althoughtheinner-cityhighschoolsheattendedwasplaguedwithproblems,sheovercamethemandexcelled.whenshegraduated,shemendedtheoften-malignedschoolforitschallengingcoursesandherteachersfortheirspecialinterestandencouragement."ican'tsayenoughgoodthingsabouttheschoolandtheteacherswhogavemesomuchofthemselves,"shesaid."ishallbeeternallygratefultothem."

sayingthanksnotonlybrightenssomeoneelse'sworld,itbrightensyours.ifyou'refeelingleftout,unlovedorunappreciated,tryreachingouttoothers.itmaybejustthemedicineyouneed.

beforea.j.croninbecameabestsellingauthor,hewasadoctor.oncehetoldaboutacolleaguewhogaveanunusualprescriptiontopatientsafflictedwithworry,fear,discouragementorself-doubt.thedoctorcalledithisthank-youcure."forsixweeksiwantyoutosaythankyouwheneveranyonedoesyouafavor.andtoshowyoumeanit,emphasizethewordswithasmile."withinsixweeksmostofthedoctor'spatientsshowedgreatimprovement.

ofcourse,therearetimeswhenyoucan'texpressgratitudeimmediately.inthatcasedon'tletembarrassmentsinkyouintosilence--speakupthefirsttimeyouhavethechance.

irecentlyreturnedhometomontpelier,ohio,forashortvisit.memoriesofmyboyhoodfloodedbackasiwalkedthefamiliarstreets.thenisawmrs.bible,andmymindflashedbacktohighschool.

iwasafreshman,moreinterestedinsportsthanschoolwork,andiwasfallingbehindinmylatinclass.thenvioletbible,aneighborwhowasaschoolteacher,foundoutaboutmyproblem."oh,latin'sgreatfun,"shetoldme."eovertonightafterdinnerandi'llshowyou."forthenextseveralweeks,shetutoredmeuntilicouldconjugatewiththebestofthem--well,almost.anyway,ipassed.atthecallowageof14itseemedperfectlynaturaltomethataworkingwifeandmotherhadnothingbettertodoafterahardday'sworkthantutormeinlatin.

nowasisawher,irealizedwhatanunmonsacrificeithadbeen.and,afterallthoseyears,itoldherso!"whatyoudidwaswaybeyondthecallofduty,"isaid."thankyou."iwasrewardedwithasurprisedsmileandasparkleinhereyes.

eachhumanbeingisyearningforkindwordsofappreciation.indecember1991,17-year-oldcandibrown'scaroverturned;theroofcollapsedandcrushedherskull.thecrewsofenginepany8andmed15ingrayson,ga.,rushedhertogwintmedicalcenter.doctorstoldherparentstopreparefortheworst.butcandisurvived.ayearlaterthefamilyservedaholidaydinnertothegwintcountyfirefightersandemergencymedicaltechnicians.duringdinnercandi,whosegoalistowalknaturallyagain,rosepainfullyandsaid,"thankyouforhelpinggodsavemylifeandgivingmeasecondchance.iloveyou."