Since 2024, certain words seem to follow us everywhere. Gratefulness is one of them. It appears in conversations, social media captions, and campaigns, almost demanding agreement. The meaning we’ve attached to it has started to feel less like a feeling and more like a rule. It carries a kind of spiritual weight.
Gratefulness isn’t just about being appreciative anymore. It has become something we are expected to embody, a badge of honour. If you aren’t grateful, it feels like there is something wrong with you. A quiet voice (or sometimes a loud one) might insist you should feel ashamed. If you aren’t grateful, you are lacking. Gratitude no longer feels like a personal, genuine experience. Instead, it seems like something we must show to prove we are living the right way. A modern virtue.
What are you grateful for? If you aren’t grateful then what are you?
Despite the pressure, I try to focus on the things I genuinely appreciate. My relationship with gratitude is not simple, but it is honest. Here is what it looks like in my life.
I am grateful every day for the chance to wake up and walk through another day. There were times in my life when I didn’t want that to happen, so now I cherish it deeply. I am especially grateful to see my family wake up too, even if they are groggy or we argue over idiotic things. There were moments when that wasn’t guaranteed, so even the most ordinary mornings feel like a gift.
I am grateful for my body, even when it frustrates me. It allows me to move, walk, lift, and live freely. I remind myself of this on days when walking is painful or hiking becomes a struggle. I am grateful for my friends, near and far, who make the effort to stay in touch. For books that transport me, technology that connects me, and the comforts of modern life like supermarkets, ready-made clothes, and everyday conveniences. I am thankful for movies, documentaries, and animations, and the creative teams behind them. I am also grateful for yoga, meditation, and every teacher who has helped me along the way. Even the darker times in my life have shaped who I am today. I appreciate every emotion, both good and bad, that gives colour to my journey.
However, not everything falls neatly under the label of gratefulness. Some experiences, while valuable, are more reflective. They teach me resilience or offer a deeper understanding of myself. Waking up to the sound of rain and falling back to sleep is not something I feel "grateful" for in a traditional sense, but it is a moment I treasure. A difficult breakup is not an event I thank life for, but it taught me strength, independence, and the value of seeing things clearly.
At the end of each day, I am grateful for having lived one more day, knowing that the road will end at some point, (often) without warning. It is comforting to accept this uncertainty. Death is the only certainty we all share. Some might think it is selfish to reflect on death this way, but I believe it is part of embracing life. Gratitude is not about ignoring life’s challenges. It is about accepting all of it, joy, pain, and everything in between, and finding meaning in the process.
