- Ken Hurley
GRATITUDE IS A transcendent emotion that resides at the core of human connection, intertwining cultures and societies across the globe. By understanding the power of gratitude and acknowledging its opposition — hate — we can cultivate empathy, foster harmonious relationships, and contribute positively to our world.
Gratitude is often expressed deeply on Thanksgiving, a widely celebrated secular holiday in the United States, dedicated to expressing appreciation for an abundance of food and drink, Pepto Bismol, family, friends, booze, and gummies. Gratitude is a universal sentiment that transcends cultural, religious, secular, and geographic boundaries. Along with Thanksgiving, there are many other secular and religious observances that express gratitude, including New Year's Day, World Gratitude Day, Sukkot, Eid al-Fitr, and Pongal!
New Year's Day is celebrated around the world with great enthusiasm, some reflection, and lots of fireworks, for which pet owners are not so grateful.
Observed on September 21st, World Gratitude Day is a secular celebration that encourages individuals to express gratitude for the positive aspects of their lives. I'll wager many people are unaware of World Gratitude Day. It serves as a reminder to appreciate the simple joys, express gratitude towards others, and foster a sense of interconnectedness. This day promotes the idea that gratitude can lead to a happier and more fulfilling life. Pet owners are grateful there are no fireworks.
Sukkot is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the forty years the Israelites spent wandering in the desert after their exodus from Egypt. During this week-long celebration, families build temporary shelters called sukkahs and eat meals inside them. This practice symbolizes the Israelites' reliance on God's protection during their journey. Sukkot emphasizes gratitude for the harvest and the shelter provided by God. It also encourages individuals to appreciate the impermanence of material possessions and focus on spiritual growth. And, no fireworks.
Eid al-Fitr is a significant Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting and prayer. It is a time of joy and celebration where Muslims express gratitude for the strength and discipline to complete the fast. Families gather for communal prayers, exchange gifts, and share meals. This celebration reinforces gratitude for the blessings of food, family, and community. And, no fireworks.
Pongal is a Tamil harvest festival celebrated in South India. It is a four-day celebration that expresses gratitude for a bountiful harvest. The highlight of Pongal is the preparation of a special dish called Pongal, made from freshly harvested rice, lentils, and jaggery. The dish is cooked outdoors, symbolizing gratitude towards the sun and nature's abundance. Pongal also includes traditional games, music, and dance, fostering a sense of community and gratitude for the blessings of the harvest. You guessed it, no fireworks!
Here's a kaboom waiting to happen for which I have no gratitude. Our newest Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, a lawyer and former spokesman for the Alliance Defending Freedom organization, which was designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-LGBTQ hate group, is also an election denier — not just an election denier, but a subversive congressional architect of the effort to overturn the 2020 election. He's an anti-choice, anti-science, anti-intellectual, religious zealot, who believes Noah's ark is factual but climate change is a media-driven hoax. He's a "great replacement" conspiracy theorist. He has described the Declaration of Independence as a “religious statement of faith.” In his first interview as speaker, Mike Johnson described himself to Sean Hannity (FOX News) as a "Bible-believing Christian." He said, to understand him and his politics, just “pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview.” He has blamed gun violence on the human heart, feminism, teaching evolution, and turning away from God (his god, of course.) You want to know what this right-wing, white male, ultra conservative, has never blamed regarding the consistent tragedy that is gun violence in America? Guns. Americans have nearly unlimited access to guns. The right wing fanatics stroke their love affair with gun culture while legislatures continue their failure to enact common sense firearm legislation. These "Thoughts and Prayers" do-nothings are now championing "mental illness" as the common theme regarding America's epidemic gun violence. I politely say, WTF‽ Why is it that "mental illness" hardly massacres anyone in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Japan, Thailand, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Korea, Turkey, Qatar, Scotland, or Spain? I could go on, but you get the idea. It's the guns. And, our decades-long legislative failure to act.
While I believe gratitude is a wonderful attribute for us to demonstrate, hate and revenge are also powerful emotions that can have devastating consequences for individuals and societies. Hate and revenge breed animosity, which can lead to the breakdown of trust, understanding, and create a mess of perpetual injustice. Individuals, communities, or nations divided by hate and revenge struggle to find common ground, hindering progress and cooperation. Hate and revenge often fuel a cycle of violence, perpetuating a never-ending circle of harm. Revenge can lead to an ongoing quest for retribution, causing further harm to all parties involved. Holding onto hate and seeking revenge can consume individuals, leading to increased stress, anxiety, and depression, and even the desire to kill. These negative emotions prevent individuals from finding peace, happiness, and restorative justice.
Society, cultures, and religions may even glorify revenge, portraying it as a means of achieving justice. The pressure to conform to societal, cultural, or religious norms can make it difficult to reject revenge, as that may be seen as a sign of weakness encompassing the fear of vulnerability. But how does one let go of anger, resentment, and hate in the effort to forgive another for killing your child or other loved ones, and swears to kill you too? Forgiving those who have wronged us requires vulnerability and immense internal fortitude. It is difficult, and for many, impossible. The fear of being hurt or wronged again, makes it challenging to let go of hate, seek forgiveness, and cultivate empathy and understanding. Hate and revenge pose significant dangers to individuals, cultures, and societies by perpetuating violence, destroying relationships, people, towns, cities, and countries. Any efforts that we can make that lead us to a kinder, peaceful, and more harmonious world, free from the destructive forces of hate and revenge, are of course, lauded and desperately needed. I'll ask again, how does one let go of anger, resentment, and hate in the effort to forgive another for killing your child or other loved ones and swears to kill you too? But then, when has hate ever been an effective solution to human interactions? Does Steven Wright's quip, "I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize," reflect the human condition?
I'm also reminded of the song from South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein, "Carefully Taught" whose lyrics are: "You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear, You’ve got to be taught from year to year, It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear — You’ve got to be carefully taught." Today, I wonder whether we learn hate and fear, or how much is hate and fear in our genetics? That's another long discussion.
I wish there were fewer troubling situations around the world for which I can not find gratitude. I wish a strong condemnation of war mongers and political thugs were all we need for people to cease their desire to kill and put down their weapons. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best. Regrettably, there is nothing simple about the human mind when it becomes obsessed with strong, angry, unworthy, hateful feelings that impel one toward something, that is in reality or the imagination, attainable.
To "hope and wish" is similar to "thoughts and prayers." Nothing changes without action. But, what to do? We can vote. We can lead by example. We can support organizations that promote human welfare, reason, peace, and goodwill, while rejecting hate and destructive fanaticism in all its ugly forms, religious or other.
Meanwhile, please know, everything is just a bit better because of you.
With gratitude,
me
