last word
by sandi tomlin-sutker

“When the going gets tough, the tough make a gratitude list.”

This quote, posted on the wall of a residential substance abuse treatment center where a family member lived, caught my eye last year and I think of it often, especially when the going does get tough, as it recently has. And I have so much to be grateful for: my beloved community of family and friends, my peaceful home and the beauty surrounding it. I often even remember to be thankful for seemingly unlimited hot showers, endless supplies of fresh, delicious food—in short, a lifestyle that is the envy of millions of people around the world.

But, ah…am I grateful for those bleaker moments, the apparent adversity that is part of living on this planet? Can I truly appreciate the opportunities hidden in the loss of a job or business? And what about the ultimate loss of someone I love or my physical well-being? I just saw a photo of the 13-year old surfer-girl before she lost her arm in a shark attack; how will she find the inner resources to ever have even a tiny bit of gratitude for that event?

Perhaps it is only with that proverbial hindsight that we can see the path opened for us because of loss, trauma, or crisis. Yet our ability and willingness to transform moments of tragedy and suffering into deep, abiding appreciation for our very life determine what sort of life we will ultimately have. So, in this season of giving and receiving, I wish for each of us the serenity to gain perspective about the events and circumstances of our lives. And the joy of knowing we are unfolding, our life is moving forward, always, in divine order.