How Can I Not Feel Gratitude?

Weekly wisdom to level up your creative life in 3 minutes

A SHORT STORY

This past weekend, Anastasiia's mom arrived in the U.S. on a Green Card from Ukraine. It was a momentous shift for our family—filled with emotion, relief, and quiet celebration. After years of uncertainty, it feels extraordinary to have her here with us, safe and out of harm’s way.

As we walked together through Central Park, she kept expressing her amazement and gratitude—at the city, the calm compared to Ukraine, the stability. She spoke about life back home: the air raid sirens, the unreliable electricity, the shortages of clean water, the constant fear. And then, softly, she said:

“I never thought I’d be in this position. I still can’t believe it. All I feel is gratitude.”

That same day, I came across a small detail from the Buddha’s story that I had never known. After his enlightenment, it’s said that he stepped away from the Bodhi Tree and sat facing it for seven days—not in meditation, but simply in gratitude. He offered thanks to the tree that had sheltered him.

That part of the story struck me—especially in light of what Anastasiia’s mom had shared.

It reminded me to pause and really look: at what’s here, at the people who stand beside me, at the mystery that surrounds all of this.

How can I not feel gratitude?

What’s something in your life today—no matter how small—that you could sit and face in gratitude?

A POEM

“Do not sit long with sadness” by Rumi

Do not sit long with sadness, my friends.

When you go to a garden, do you look at thorns or flowers?

Spend more time with roses and jasmine.

Grateful,

Michael