Life is short. Too short. We often miss chances to say Thank You. Think of one person in your life who you never got a full opportunity to appreciate. Write them a note. Read it to them. Treasure their memory.
What are you grateful for today?
Example
This is to my maternal grandmother, born in Ukraine, emigrated via Germany after WWII to the US.
Dear Baba –
You overcame all sorts of challenges in your life, working long hours to raise your family. You weren’t fluent in English, so I wasn’t able to talk with you as much as I wanted. You took care of me and my sister every summer but unfortunately we never were able to really “talk”. There were so many stories you could have told me and I would have been fascinated to hear them.
You passed away when I was only a teenager. I miss those lost opportunities to really get to know you as a person. I appreciate all you did to be there for me. I wish we had had more time, for me to get to know you as an adult.
* * *
I am grateful that all of my mother and father’s generation are still alive – my uncles and aunts, my godmother and godfather. It is wonderful to be able to talk with them, learn from them, and be inspired by them.
