Gratitude Via Giving: Instilling the Habit of Gratefulness

Tammy Marino of Unbound reflects on the practice of daily generosity.

Just as that last trick-or-treater walks away with his mini candy bar, many people go straight into Christmas mode. Décor comes out, Mariah Carey’s patented holiday melody fills the air, and holiday shopping goes into full swing. But, what about that other special celebration? How can we make Thanksgiving meaningful and memorable? And how can we ensure our children make thankfulness a part of their daily routines?

At Mass, we hear so many readings about the power of and need for gratitude. “In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus,” Paul said in his message to the Thessalonians. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Some of us are fortunate enough to host or attend family gatherings during the holiday season where relatives share what they are grateful for. But reflecting once or twice a year is not exactly, “In all circumstances …” as Paul asks.

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Giving begets gratitude

To create a culture or habit of gratitude, it can be helpful to find ways to give to others. When we see the world and our place in it in relation to others, it offers an opportunity to gain perspective on all that we should be grateful for — and it goes well beyond the typical material possessions that so often grab our attention around the holidays.

As much as the monotony and demands of attending school can become exhausting for children, for example, there are children who dream of attending school. Living in a community with paved roads and running water that is safe to drink are luxuries in other parts of the world and we rarely think of them where we live. Having access to necessary medical care and medications is something so many of us take for granted.

GivingTuesday, an annual day encouraging people worldwide to be generous that this year falls on December 3, offers a perfect starting point for instilling the habit of gratitude through giving. Families can work together to create a holiday food drive, host a lemonade stand and plan to donate earnings to a chosen great cause, and recruit friends and neighbors to be part of the action. Another option is to create an ongoing relationship with another family in a different country by sponsoring a child, youth or elder through Unbound.

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Gratitude across the globe

Unbound sponsors and sponsored friends alike experience deep and meaningful thankfulness because of connections made and milestones reached. Nicholas, a sponsored youth in Kenya, shared how his sponsors changed his life:

The moment I receive letters from them, I feel empowered, I feel encouraged, I feel loved. The reason being in that letter, what they write to me are words of encouragement to me, [they are] the people who believed in me more than I do. The people who push me. They remind me of who I am. That's why I told you Unbound is home. With them, they're my family. They're my second family.

Some are immediately motivated to pay the kindness and generosity forward. Marcos, a sponsored elder in Guatemala, said,

I don't have great things, but I have what I need … what the [program] has done for me has served as a lesson for me. I began to visit some sick people, and I brought them some bags of corn from what I harvested because I sensed that it would be very helpful to them. That's what I started doing because I understood that even if it was only a little that I could do, people in need would be grateful.

And there is genuine power in the gratitude that comes from being able to support another. David Desmond was unemployed when his 10-year-old daughter compelled him to become an Unbound sponsor. Now, more than 20 years later, he has been able to meet one of his sponsored friends, and he is truly grateful for the fulfillment he has found in helping others — through financial support, but also through personal connection. Desmond said:

In some respects, I think the communication with my sponsored friends is more important than even the financial contribution. It tells them someone else sees them, they are not invisible. They’re a human being who has value and is important.

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Many ways to give — and to be grateful

As we all make efforts to reflect, and to thank God for all of our many blessings, we must also find ways to give to others.

For more information about Unbound, or to learn more about our sponsorships, our current diabetes study (recruiting people in the United States who are living with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and who have a heart for giving, who might consider sponsoring elders living with diabetes in the Philippines), or other ways to get involved, please visit Unbound.org.

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