“I live in a space of thankfulness — and I have been rewarded a million times over for it.” — Oprah Winfrey
Grief and thankfulness often feel like opposites. A parent who has lost a child may find thankfulness nearly impossible. The pain can feel too wide. The ache can seem too constant. But grief does not erase the ability to see beauty. The human heart can hold many emotions at once. Grief may fill the room, but gratitude can still enter quietly. Thankfulness does not deny the pain. Thankfulness gives the pain room to breathe. A grateful thought can coexist with a broken heart.
Many grieving parents feel guilt when they feel anything good. A moment of laughter can feel like betrayal. Gratitude can feel distant or undeserved. But thankfulness does not diminish love for the child who is gone. Gratitude honors the love that still remains. A parent’s heart learns to recognize the smallest gifts. A sunrise can feel like a blessing. A memory can bring both sorrow and warmth. Gratitude for one moment does not silence the grief. Gratitude holds the grief more gently.
Living in thankfulness does not mean living without pain. Thankfulness is a choice made again and again. Thankfulness does not ask us to forget. Thankfulness asks us to remember differently. A grateful heart does not erase the loss. A grateful heart gives meaning to what still is. Parents who have lost children carry deep sorrow. But within that sorrow, gratitude can slowly grow. Each thankful breath can feel like a quiet reward. Even in sorrow, the heart can whisper thanks.
Thought for today: Name one thing that brings a moment of peace. Let thankfulness live beside the sorrow, not behind it.