Jan
15
2021
Attitude Of Gratitude
Posted in Daily Living 4 Comments
I see the large bin every time I enter the market.
It is always filled with brown paper bags.
Each bag is quite full and stapled shut.
On the front of the bag, there is a label that says, Food Pantry.
I see the bin each week but never thought much about it.
Until one week, I noticed bags on top of the ice freezers at the end of the checkout line.
There were the same brown paper bags lined up in a row.
Each of the bags, stapled shut, had the same label as those in the bin.
I made a mental note to ask about it when I was in the checkout line.
Weeks passed and I always forgot to inquire about the bags.
One week, I noticed that there was a sign on the outside of the bin.
The sign simply said, $9.99.
I concluded that a customer could buy a bag to be donated to the food pantry.
In these hard times, with people out of work, I thought this was a wonderful thing to do.
Each week, I did my grocery shopping but never saw the bin until I left the store.
By that time, I had already checked out and was heading to my car.
There is only one way to enter the store and one way to exit.
The bin was near the exit.
I assumed that the food pantry had a van that would come to collect the donated bags of food.
I assumed that the bin was placed there intentionally.
This particular day would be the day.
This would be the day I would not forget to add the amount to my grocery bill.
This would be the day that a bag would go on top of the freezer until it went into the bin.
This would be the day.
As I was checking out, I asked the young woman who was scanning my groceries.
Tell me how the donations to the food pantry work, I inquired of her.
We donate to various food pantries around the county, she said.
You pay here and then a bag is placed in the bin ready to go, she explained.
We make up the bags, she continued.
She looked up to the top of the freezer.
We don’t have any made right now.
It’s been busy, she explained.
Well, then I’ll do it next week, I said.
Every little bit helps, I added.
You’re so right, she agreed.
These are hard times, I said to her.
You know, I’m really grateful, the young woman admitted.
Grateful during Covid? I asked wanting to know more.
Yes, she said, I’m really thankful, she said as she kept scanning my groceries.
I mean I have a job, I haven’t been sick, I have my family…
She looked at me, searching my face for some kind of response.
I think that is wonderful, I told her.
Your attitude is so refreshing.
I wanted to encourage her hoping she would continue.
I see so many people who are really struggling, she said.
I have not experienced that in my life through all of this.
I am so grateful.
I looked at her and hoped my eyes conveyed the huge smile behind my mask.
This young woman was probably about eighteen years old.
Bad news, and statistics that we’re all weary of hearing, fill the airwaves.
But here, in this market, a young woman had taken stock of her life.
Here, in this market, despite the din of the world around her, thankfulness reigned.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.(Psalm 107:1)
This young woman had an attitude of gratitude.
It was contagious.
In this market, with a virus that is spreading from one to another, there was another contagion.
This contagion is one we all want to catch.
I asked myself if I had an attitude of gratitude?
Does thankfulness fill my heart and spill over to others?
Do I take stock of the things for which I am grateful?
Do I take the time to thank God for them?
It is so easy to be bogged down with weariness.
It is hard work to shove despair out the window and tell it never to return.
This young woman found a way.
This young woman was contagious with thankfulness.
I want to be contagious, too.
I want to overflow with gratitude.
I want to make a mental note of the wonderful things that are sprinkled in my day.
They are there but do I always see them?
I looked at her name tag and called her by her name as I said goodbye.
I did that because I want to remember.
I want to put a name to the face that had an attitude of gratitude in the middle of a pandemic.
I made a mental note to thank her the next time I see her.
How wonderful if thankfulness became contagious. Beautiful Gina!
Sherie,
It would change everything!
It’s just what we need about now!
Let’s spread a little of this contagion!
Gina
Gina, so true – thank you for the beautiful reminder to always give thanks for the many blessings in our lives. Love and miss you!
Diane,
It really is such a simple thing, but life changing.
Focusing on the blessings will change our perspective.
Miss you, too, friend.
You are loved.
Gina