“The deepest craving
of human nature
is the need to
be appreciated.” 
William James

I have had the pleasure of spending a significant amount of time with my son Brendan these past few days. I was with him on Tuesday morning as he was wheeled away from his room at Regional Medical Center for the surgery to repair the severed tendon in his knee. I was there Tuesday afternoon when he returned from surgery. I was with him throughout the day on Wednesday, including his discharge from the hospital. In fact, I’ve been with Brendan though most of the past 48 hours, including a return to the emergency room yesterday to have the sutures checked and for his first physical therapy appointment. Through all this, I’ve noticed something significant.

During his 48-hour stay on the third floor of Regional Medical Center, Brendan encountered countless doctors, nurses, and specialists who checked up on him. What caught my attention was the frequency with which he expressed his sincere gratitude to each of them for the care he was receiving. He verbalized his gratitude to the emergency room staff, as well, including the security guard who graciously offered to get him a wheel chair so that he would be more comfortable while waiting to be seen by the ER staff. 

Even in our conversations in the car driving to and from the hospital, Brendan expressed his sincere gratitude to me, to Kathy, to his brothers, and to the many other family members and friends who have supported him through this challenging time. This attitude of gratitude warms my heart.

It would be understandable if Brendan were to be bitter and resentful towards people while dealing with the pain and disappointment of this situation. Many in his position might turn their anger and frustration towards those around them. Brendan, however, has consistently expressed his gratitude throughout each day. Not surprisingly, he’s noticed that people respond to him with increased positivity.

Gratitude really does make a difference. It makes a difference to us and to those around us. When we are grateful, and most especially when we make the effort to express our gratitude to others, we simply feel better. Those around us feel better, too. For this reason, I am convinced that gratitude has the power to heal both the mind and the body.  

Most of us take so much for granted. Then, when we lose the ability to do something we’ve always been able to do, we lament our inability to do so. Sadly, these things happen to us from time to time. It’s up to us to decide how we’re going to deal with such disappointments. I can say with absolute certainty that gratitude makes a difference — a positive difference — in our lives and the lives of those around us. It really does!