B is for Bounty

"Our society is afflicted by a spirit of thoughtless arrogance unbecoming those who have been so magnificently blessed. How grateful we should be for the bounties we enjoy. Absence of gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind. It bespeaks a lack of knowledge and the ignorance of self-sufficiency. It expresses itself in ugly egotism and frequently in wanton mischief....Where there is appreciation, there is courtesy, there is concern for the rights and property of others. Without appreciation, there is arrogance and evil. Where there is gratitude, there is humility, as opposed to pride." - Gordon B. Hinckley

Everyday I make an effort to consciously think about and give thanks for the bounty in my life. There is the love of friends and family, my good health. I am sheltered and fed each day. Beauty is an ever present emanation of Love and I see it everywhere. Kindness abounds and I recognize it eagerly. Sure, I have experienced some cruelties, but the majority of experiences I have had I have named gentle gifts given to me for learning's sake. The heartbreak I have felt, the disappointment with which I have wrestled, the wretchedness I have worn, the sorrow I have carried have all served somehow to lift my consciousness in the end. I survived what didn't kill me, and I suppose I am stronger for it. Most people with whom I have related have been gracious encounters with benevolence. And even when they seemingly were not that, I have been able to see through to that which is called goodness. For this, I feel grateful.

bountybeautybeneficenceblessingbenevolence

I am blessed by the beneficence of Life. Thankful to be on the receiving end of Its grace, I recognize the magnificence of order and beauty. Always one to embrace the lovely side of life (as opposed to the icky), I am grateful that most things I have witnessed have been signs and emanations of the generosity of Life. I do not deny the chaos, as I see that creation is a reflection of that. I just am happy to be on the receiving end of the ordered birth.

Even in the midst of what looks like craziness, there is bounty. I choose to prioritize what I recognize. I do not deny the ugliness - the end result of things gone awry, the curse of greed that we have all been afflicted with and affected by, the pursuing of endless things to feed a hunger created by a lost memory of who we are and what really matters. Instead, I look for the bounty, the abundance, the fullness, the signs that Life is more good than any other thing, and I know that we have a hand in making that goodness manifest.