GRATITUDE IS AN ATTITUDE
Re: the tsunami of December 2005
By Frank Deaver
Rotary Club of Tuscaloosa, Alabama USA

     This was intended to be a commentary on the subject of gratitude.  But in the wake of such massive devastation and human suffering of recent weeks, how can we be grateful?  Can we at this moment validly speak of gratitude?

     Yes, the subject can still have relevance, but with a somewhat amended approach.  The December 26 tsunami in Southeast Asia assaults our emotions, threatening to crowd out any spontaneous feelings of gratitude.

     Nevertheless, gratitude is a natural response within each person, although often not recognized, perhaps not correctly defined.

     The holiday season was a time of gratitude.  Families were grateful for the opportunity of reunion.  Children were grateful for presents.  Merchants were grateful for elevated profits.

     Then on the day after Christmas, tragedy drowned whatever gratitude was felt by the more than 150,000 who died.  Countless more were tortured by a fruitless search for loved ones.  Millions of survivors are left homeless and in urgent need of relief.  Disease and starvation are ongoing threats.

     We are tempted to ask, “Is it possible to be grateful in the face of such massive loss of life and destruction of property?”

     Rotarians care.  Rotarians share.  And therein is gratitude made visible, even in the face of utter devastation and human suffering. Rotarians around the world have responded to this tragedy with an outpouring of condolences and offers of support to the victims of the disaster.

     Neighboring Rotary districts and clubs in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand, have poured manpower as well as materials into the relief effort.

     So if we look closely, even in tragedy we may see evidences of gratitude – not gratitude for the tragic event but gratitude for the opportunities of service when those events occur.

     ** We can be grateful for Rotary itself, for an organization that embraces a worldwide constituency willing to give not only during the Christmas season, but whenever and wherever there is a need.
     ** We can be grateful that we have a mechanism for directing aid to those in need, with confidence that assistance will be administered by Rotary brothers and sisters.
     ** We can be grateful that as Rotarians we have resources that can be shared with the needy.

     Gratitude is more than a simple “thank-you” for a gift or favor. Gratitude is an attitude.  An attitude of optimism even in troubled times.  An attitude of appreciation for opportunities of service.  An attitude of altruism in response to the needs of the needy.

     Gratitude is consistent with the mere reality of being a Rotarian.  As Rotarians, we are blessed with friendship, fellowship, and opportunities of service.  As Rotarians, we know that when tragedy strikes anywhere in the world, we can be grateful that ours is an organization that stands ready to help.

     Yes indeed, even in these sad days, gratitude is a Rotarian attitude.