The article “A Season of Gratitude was posted on 30 December 2024, at https://medium.com and then at https://gobblersmasticadores.wordpress.com/. This week, Marcello surprised me again by posting it in English and translating it into Italian, French and Spanish on his blog at https://marcellocomitini.wordpress.com/

I express my sincere gratitude for posting the article and all your hard work in translating the post, Marcello!

This time of year, we often hear about the “season of gratitude.” We are encouraged to take advantage of these days to express our love and appreciation to those around us — whether they are dear friends, family, or even strangers.

Yet, do we really need special occasions to feel and express gratitude? What if we miss this “season”? Is it better to leave this life with the regret of not showing appreciation to those around us?

To love is to offer respect and responsibility. It is to be compassionate, and through gratitude, we give back everything we receive; in return, we embrace love. As Joan Wilcox calls it, this reciprocity is a sacred principle that the Incas speak of. Even in the selfishness of our society, we feel the urge to give something back to those who have done us a service; we want to reward them. We give because we receive, and through giving, we receive.

Together, love and gratitude are regarded as the greatest healers. Here, we refer only to gratitude that stems from the heart — one that is sincere and true. It is not dictated by petty interests, and requires no conditions. You can feel gratitude for a flower that brightens your day, for a tree offering shade on a hot afternoon, or for the food you eat and the water you drink.

We often express gratitude to those close to us and to strangers who have helped us. However, it is not easy to see someone who has caused us pain as our equal. Overcoming the ego’s influence can be challenging. Offering kindness to someone who has hurt you can feel like a blow to your pride and ego, making you feel weak or foolish for not retaliating. Conversely, we miss the fact that when we are in a difficult position, we also wish to be treated with kindness and gratitude.”*…

“Gratitude is our response to the love we receive. Every time you say ‘thank you,’ you offer someone gratitude, and that high-vibration energy extends into the universe. Yet, this expression is underutilized or used reluctantly in our world; often, we say it out of obligation rather than genuine feeling. In truth, any action we take can be accompanied by gratitude. Once we learn to practice sincere forgiveness, expressing gratitude for both good and challenging experiences becomes much easier. Oliver Sacks mentioned that he was blessed with wonderful things and returned this inner wealth to the world, where gratitude predominated in his heart.”*

By treating even those who have harmed you with gratitude, you come to accept that they were merely instruments of the universe, helping you learn crucial lessons in this life. By thanking those who have caused you pain, you deny pride and malice any victory. While I can’t claim you will win in a conventional sense, love exists independently of such notions. It simply is. In the end, you will feel free and at peace with yourself.

By giving love, we receive love in return. This is the AYNI principle, a law of love that operates year-round, all the time. It doesn’t require a dedicated season of gratitude…

Manuela

*Excerpt from: Manuela Timofte’s The Garden of Love – Our Inner Wealth

References:

• Oliver Sacks — Gratitude

The article was originally posted on https://medium.com

Photo by Tetyana Kovyrina