Don’t ever think for a moment that I believe it’s easy every day to feel grateful. Some days I think, I just can’t stand all this– too much work, too much nastiness, too many people looking out for their own damn ass and hiding their true greedy intentions under psuedo caring, too many times the bad guys win, too much unrelenting injustice. I feel like I am in a continual whirlwind– it’s hard enough holding on to my hat much less be grateful!
I think it’s hard to be grateful– because I am serious in trying not to simply “lip service” to the whole gratitude concept. Everyone “says” they’re grateful–but we never seem to be able to hold on to the sense of just how lucky we are, how amazing just living is, for more than a few minutes at a time. It’s absolutely tough to do– today for example, I got a call at 9:00 am this morning from someone complaining about my stand advocating for students’ rights. Then there was a short power failure. I still can’t find my key to the house, and I haven’t yet had time to send two birthday cards or returned five calls and six emails– it ain’t easy to feel gratitude when you’re overwhelmed with feeling overwhelmed. But at the risk of being accused of plagiarizing myself (because I do use this quotation from Rabbi Tarfon in our latest documentary), “You are not required to complete the task, yet you are not free to desist.” So I will take a deep breath, look over at my husband getting ready to go for Rosh haShanah dinner, and I am, and will be, grateful.
