Quite a few years ago I knew two people who defied logic for who should and should not be happy. The reason for both had to do with one thing and one thing only, their life approach to Gratitude.

First there was a physically healthy young man in his 20’s. He was straight and had every attractive single woman in the area wanting to know him on his looks and charm alone. But he had much more going for him. His father was a business genius who had built up and sold several businesses. His parents were in a very stable loving relationship and doted on their son. He had graduated from an Ivy League school in four years and was a top notch athlete in lacrosse.

The woman was an African American in her late 50’s early 60’s. She grew up in a time where there were precious few opportunities for Black women. She lived in a poor high crime ridden area. She and her husband had to work a couple jobs each to provide for their three kids especially the one with special needs. Her main job was cleaning office buildings at night. Her special needs child would always have to live with her.

One summer night I was down the Jersey Shore looking at some impressive boats docked in an upscale inlet. One had been rented by the young man’s family for a two week vacation. It was eighty feet long and had six crew members. A friend and I found this out by talking to one of the crew members as he waited to receive a shipment of fresh lobsters to make for the family and some friends. I said to the crew member, “that must be the life.” The crew member was in his 60’s just retired from the post office with a nice pension. He told us the money was great for a two week gig he did 2-3 times a summer so he and his wife could afford their own getaway. With disbelief to our ears he said the young man, described above, will never be happy. Incredulously he found a way to sulk the whole trip because the yacht he as on was twenty feet shorter than his friends’ family boat and had two less crew members.

The woman described above cleaned a floor I worked on at a time my first son was just born. I was working one night a little after five trying to finish up and get home to see my son. I heard the woman coming who someone said could be rather talkative. I said to myself please don’t come here. Of course she did. As she started to speak I started to think how I could delicately end the conversation without offending her. Many had said although she can talk, she is really nice. So I decided to listen for thirty seconds. After her second sentence, I decided that I could spend a few minutes with this woman because she was so special. Over the next few years I got to know her and was Grateful she was in my life.

In spite of all logic saying she should be miserable and angry with the world, she exuded Gratitude bringing light to everyone she knew. The high crime poverty riddled neighborhood actually was a Blessing to her. No one could afford to leave so her block became a model for how it takes a village to raise a child. Her neighbors took in and looked after her special needs child. The block never had a block party because every day was one. I could feel the love they all had for each other in this wonderful woman. She loved her husband and although life was hard they were both so Grateful for each other and how committed they were to each other, their family and the family/friends on the block they lived on. She also loved the women she worked with cleaning the floors. They would get to work about a half hour early just to be with each other. I so looked forward to coming back from an appointment late in the day and seeing them as they loved to joke around and laugh as do I.

What a wonderful life lesson these two can teach us all. I do hope the young man complaining about the yacht can find happiness in somehow realizing all he has to be Grateful for. The inspiring woman’s spirit is something I know I need to everyday be striving to be emulate.

May you all be Blessed with the insight to know you all have to be Grateful for. In that Gratitude there is so much happiness awaiting for us all.