A Moment of Gratitude

The American flag waving in the breeze has always evoked a maelstrom of emotions in me, and every year around this time, I feel it especially intensely. I am deeply grateful for having been born in this country. When I think of the atrocities that affect many people in other parts of the world on a daily basis – the violence, the genocide, the rapes – I can only be humbly thankful for having somehow drawn this hand. It is easy to lose sight of gratitude in looking at the atrocities that the United States itself has delivered upon this planet. For while this nation has been generous to other citizens of the earth in their times of need, it has also done its share of exploitation and destruction. I don’t need to list the examples, but as I have been witnessing the unfolding of this latest devastating accident in the Gulf of Mexico, I keep asking myself, will we ever learn? I wonder about the future of this nation and of the world, if we can save ourselves yet or if it is too late. But then I have to coax myself back to the here and now.

I was recently sitting at an outdoor café in Dallas, discussing the state of the union with two people, neither of whom was born in the United States. The woman had been raised between London and Qatar until her teen years. The man was a native of India and had come to the States at around the same age. At first I, the only one born and raised here, railed at the “evils of the empire”, but as we continued to talk about this “great experiment” that is the United States of America, I saw again how, for the most part, it still offers the greatest opportunities for the most people. In its relative youth, there is still optimism, invention and enterprise here that does not exist elsewhere, even in the Western world. There is a high value placed on human life; there is freedom of speech and debate; there is a basic sense of safety and order here (even after September 11 and in spite of crime rates). These are things we Americans often take for granted. It is far from perfect, but what is? If it were, how would we know when we had it good? In fact, we have it so much better than our parents did and theirs before them in terms of the choices we have, the social advances that have been made, and the equality of opportunity.

The looming problems before us now – environmental disaster, economic disaster, the war on terrorism – are probably not vanishing anytime soon. It is easy to feel fearful, angry, and powerless amidst the recklessness and lack of responsibility of the few people who have so much power. But it is important that we find small actions to take to counter these feelings. We the people can make ripples of change. A yogi I once met told me about a handful of monks who meditated twelve hours a day, sending love and healing to the planet and its creatures. It is believed that these few monks are holding the world together by a thread. I love that image, and whether or not it is true, it comforts me to think of these monks keeping the world from destroying itself. There is power in small acts and good intentions. Not all of us were called to be Buddhist monks or saints, but we can do our part to counteract the negative and harmful forces in the world with acts of kindness towards each other and the earth. By taking off our blinders to really see our fellow humans and to offer them a helping hand. By giving small gifts to the earth, even something simple like watering the trees on your street. A small gift multiplies. Even sitting quietly meditating and sending your own loving energy out to the people and the creatures who are suffering makes a difference. And the calm and centeredness you get from practicing this will have a ripple effect on those around you.

In spite of all the challenges we face, we are blessed to live on this bountiful corner of the earth. And yes, there are bullies on the playground. But we have to keep sight of what is really great and beautiful about this land of ours. We owe it to ourselves, the other creatures who share the planet, and the generations of children who will inherit the earth. And so I leave you with a quote from one of my favorite poet/songwriters, Leonard Cohen: “Ring the bells that still will ring/Forget your perfect offering/There is a crack in everything/That’s how the light gets in.”

Tags: American flag, freedom of speech, Independence Day

This post was submitted by Routh Chadwick.

Author: Routh Chadwick (9 Articles)

Routh Chadwick is an Arts and Wellness Counselor in New York City. She earned her MSW from NYU and now combines her social work experience and education with her background in the performing arts and creative writing to assist people in integrating more creativity, pleasure and play into their work and lives in general. Social work experience includes working in an acute inpatient psychiatric unit at a municipal hospital; working with adults at a psychoanalytic institute; working with adults in the walk-in center of an LGBT counseling center; working with adolescents in an after-school program; and working in early childhood intervention. As a performing artist and writer, Routh performed in off-off Broadway and regional theater and appeared in independent films. She learned many of the tools she now uses in creative expression through years of training with Carol Fox Prescott, E. Katherine Kerr and Aaron Zimmerman. She has a B.A. in Drama from the University of Dallas.