Thursday, December 08, 2016

lean into gratitude

lean into gratitude is an expression gifted to many by the late Kathleen Burkhalter. if you knew Kathleen, you likely already understand the value of the phrase. for those of you in the world who missed her, she was the most genuinely accepting person i have ever known. she opened her arms, her home, and her heart to everyone.

i miss her. i cannot imagine how severely her dear husband, David, and her six beautiful children - Mercy, JM, Ana-Maria, Seraphina, Kiko, and Rosie - must miss her every moment. but, i feel so grateful that i had a chance to tell Kathleen just how powerful her message was for me. i miss her, but i feel grateful for her. i lean into gratitude.

it gives me strength.

lean into gratitude has a similar meaning to the phrase "look on the bright side". but what happens when you lean instead of just look?

to look means to picture, to imagine, to watch from afar.

to lean means to acknowledge, to accept, and to use positivity for support.

it gives me so much strength. it forces me to know what i am grateful for instead of simply imagine. for me, it makes gratitude and positivity real. it makes gratitude and positivity something i can use to take action.

like a sail leaning against the wind.

lean into gratitude also offers a delicate balance. to lean, not to fall, not to engulf, but to lean. to hold yourself up with the help of gratitude. this powerful phrase allows me to stand and be strong with support of my thankfulness.

perhaps someone else could articulate the phrase's meaning better, but i offer this as an explanation of how i have felt for the last month, and an explanation of how i have coped with much over the last month without collapsing, as hard as it has been.


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