What does gratitude mean to Don't Stop Dreamin'?
As the world has evolved, most have lost the true sincerity of gratitude; a word preached by many. This ideal has become embedded in a person's brain, but may not actually mean anything.
As defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Synonyms: gratefulness, thankfulness, thanks, appreciation, indebtedness."
Many might say they show gratitude when someone does a good deed. Consider a time when someone held the door open. Did you say thank you? I sure hope so. Did you mean it? Probably. The real question arises and most may not know how to answer. Did you feel it?
Feeling thanks is a task far too mysterious as age takes hold. Consider how children show gratitude for simple tasks like a hug, a drink, or their new toy. How do we evolve into creatures of entitlement or monotony?
Saying thank you has been established as a requirement of society. If you forget to say thank you, you may be deemed as though you were raised by baboons. On the contrary, if you remember to say it you are noted as a proper gentleman/lady. Perhaps we should start judging on the level of feeling.
Imagine if the things we say are actually what we mean. It would most certainly hold us accountable in more situations than not. There would be no "take-backs" or "I didn't mean to say it".
I recollect the idea of my four-year-old son. He has manners and is quick to say thank you, sorry, or please. We have trained him well. Examining gratitude reminds me of the (many) times he says sorry. Often, I remind him he is not sorry because most of the time he is just apologizing for things he really did on purpose, but feels bad for being so troublesome. There is a difference in his persona when he says sorry for something he really didn't mean to do. Those apologies are the ones that actually mean something. It is so surreal to think about how early on someone might lose the sincerity naturally given to us.
Our mission here at Don't Stop Dreamin' is to show our residents gratitude; the feeling of gratitude. Because at Don't Stop Dreamin', what we do is for them.
What's your dream?
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