Gratitude and Generosity -- the two G's

April 21, 2020

The only time I ever saw my dad cry was later in his life, sitting at the kitchen table, recounting all the things for which he was grateful. Retired for a number of years, he had become a volunteer worker at a Catholic Charities thrift shop in Brockton, and once a week was driving cancer patients to Dana-Farber Hospital in Boston for chemo treatments. From time to time, he would tell of his encounters with a single mom from Brockton, struggling to feed her children, or the pain and suffering of a man or woman he had traveled with that day. Since his retirement, I noticed a gradual transformation in his political attitude, and a zeal and compassion I had never before observed. I was told that he had become a champion for the poor at the local St. Vincent de Paul society, challenging the other members to do more and to seek out those who needed help.

It was from my dad that I observed first-hand the two G’s, and the profoundly transformational effect they had in his life and in the life of others he encountered. I also observed that the one appeared to feed the other. The more grateful he became, the more he was compelled to express that gratitude in generosity to others. And the more generous he became, in service to those who were less fortunate, the more grateful he felt, realizing just how much he have been given.

Thank you dad for your love, and for teaching me by your example that gratitude and generosity are the foundation of a happy and meaningful life.