Dedicated to Inspired Expressions of Life's Energy
Superman Saves the Day Reflections on Gratitude By Lisa Reber
Nature's Pathways - November 2011
MoonRise in the Pines
Gratitude is defined by Wikipedia as ‘a feeling, emotion or attitude in acknowledgement of a benefit that one has received or will receive. This is the time of year that Thanksgiving is celebrated.We’ve harvested a bounty of crops from the growing season, or reflect on the blessings the year has provided, and come together to give praise for all we have received.Then again, we might just come together to watch football. In our house we have a tradition that started many years ago; we have desert first!I decided that to be truly thankful for the hard work put into the meal, we should all eat pie first.After all, it’s no fun being too full to enjoy the sweetness of life.My family loves it! In truth, we should feel the gratitude on a daily basis.I make it a point to say ‘Thank you’ (and mean it) for the many things in my day.I even thank the plants and animal spirits before I eat each meal and then I thank my body for fully utilizing the nutrients from these plants and animals.I’ve found that taking the time to feel grateful and saying thank you has greatly improved my ability to digest food. Gratitude can show up in our hearts in unexpected ways.I was at a particularly low point in regaining my health a few months ago.The numbness and tingling I was experiencing was from a prescription drug and I was hoping that I could stop the drug right away.My doctor gently said, “Lisa, if you stop this drug you will die.”Intellectually I knew this; emotionally I was angry and upset.When I got home I went into my office closed the door and cried. Normally I’m not one to feel sorry for myself; in fact I can usually find humor in just about everything.This time I couldn’t see any humor in the moment and went into a full blown pity party; including “It’s not fair” and “Why me!”The tears were streaming down my face, my nose was running and I just hated all of it! Suddenly, right before my eyes sat Christopher Reeves.Yep, Superman was sitting right in front of me in 3D; complete with wheel chair, breathing tube and the most compassionate smile I’ve ever seen.I felt so much love and compassion from him in this vision that I was overwhelmed; I’m tearing up just writing about and remembering this. Within the space of two breaths, my pity party was transformed.Looking at Christopher Reeves as he looked at me and offering me compassion after all he had been through.All I could do was say, “Oh Superman!”Like the Grinch whose heart suddenly grew, I was transformed with gratitude; gratitude for Christopher Reeves visit, his foundation and for the drugs that are keeping me alive a little while longer so I can fulfill my life’s purpose (for more information go to www.christopherandanareeves.com ). My husband and I have noticed the little things this year, more than we previously had; like the first dandelion of spring or the blackbirds flocking for their winter commute south and thanking it all.When I say ‘thank you’ in passing to clerks I mean it.When I’m exhausted and want to rest, I thank my family for picking up the slack.I’m filled with gratitude so much that I often want to cry! Gratitude is taught in every religion, esoteric tradition and spiritual practice.The teachings of gratitude have a common theme; those who feel and show their gratitude draw more of that same vibration or energy into their lives.Paul speaks about it in Thessalonians when he retells the story of Jeshua Ben David offering to heal a group suffering from leprosy.One of the nine gives praise and thanks for the blessing of healing and is healed.What about the other eight?Were they healed? My question would be where was their gratitude? It would be lovely if gratitude were taught first in all spiritual paths.The law of attraction works primarily on the energetic emotional tone of gratitude.Gratitude 101 seems to be sorely missing from life sciences and our social climate.I’m grateful I can assist people in learning these principles. How often do we say ‘Thank you’ but not mean it.How often do we show our appreciation to those we love?I was recently talking with a woman that is dying from cancer.This woman is afraid and feeling like a victim.My heart went out to her and I asked her if she had shared her feeling of love with her family.“Oh, I tell them I love them all the time.” With a smile I replied with how nice that is and shared with her that I had always regretted not saying ‘I love you’ to my Dad before he died suddenly.Granted I was only 13 when he transitioned, but still that regret can linger.Then I told this woman that I had come to realize that saying ‘I love you’ isn’t as important as saying what you love and appreciate about the ones you love. This is what giving thanks is about for me.We, as a society, have become so consumed by materialism and a feeling that we are entitled to ‘have’ that we have forgotten to be grateful for the true wealth in our lives. Thank you Superman!
