Often I have commented that one of the most pleasant things
in life is serendipity. I like the word,
serendipity, and I like the experience of it.
Serendipity is a pleasant surprise, an unexpected piece of good fortune. Serendipity is good fortune finding us when
we were not even looking.
Recently I had the good fortune of being the recipient of a
little serendipity. It was not a big
deal, but it was touching, nevertheless.
I received an email from a student whom I know, but I don’t know this
student well. He is a leader on campus,
so I figured perhaps he wanted something.
So I opened the email with no expectations at all that it would actually
be serendipity in the making.
The email began with a cordial greeting. I appreciated that, but was not
surprised. This student is someone who
has his act together, so he knows how to engage people. I read on.
He told me that he was involved with a group of students who were
interviewing other students about some matters.
One of the students who were interviewed singled me out and publically
thanked me for some things.
This piece of serendipity was touching for three
reasons. In the first place, it touched
me that I received the email sharing this tidbit of news. Otherwise, I would never have known about
this. It is not a big thing. The world would keep spinning, even if I
never knew about it.
Secondly, I was touched that someone noticed something I
apparently said or did. I do not know
the name of the student who was interviewed and said the kind things about
me. And in almost every way, I am glad I
don’t know who it was. I am glad,
because that way I am not tempted to rationalize why he or she felt this way
and why he or she would have said it.
This way the whole thing feels clean.
Apparently I did something that was noticed and, perhaps, made a little
difference. Many of us do this all the
time.
Finally, I was touched that the student who was interviewed
was thankful and said “thanks.” I
appreciate the sentiment, although clearly I was never going to know about it,
until the email came. The email was a
kind of gift, in that it enabled me to know something special. Serendipity came my way and made my day.
I am delighted that a student knows the value of being
thankful. Ultimately, I believe there is
something spiritual in any encounter where a gift is given and thanks is the
response. I sense the culture we live in
does not do this too well. This is not
the place to do a cultural analysis. I
am more interested in what I like to call “the art of thanks.”
I do think offering thanks is an art. It is not a science, which has strict lessons
and protocol on offering thanks. Saying
thanks is determined by the one offering the thanks. Thanks always come out of recognition and
response. Let’s look briefly at each one
of these.
We cannot be thankful if we do not recognize that in some
way---either specially or in a general sense---we have been gifted. To recognize that we have been gifted
requires a level of awareness that enables us to recognize it when true. Perhaps too many people lead unthankful lives
because they lack the awareness that enables them to recognize how they are
gifted.
But to recognize we have been gifted does not mean we
necessarily will respond. That requires
actually being thankful---saying thanks in some fashion. This apparently is what one student did when
he or she mentioned me. It was
serendipitous that I was able to know about it.
I was touched and thankful!
The spiritual lesson for me in all this is to continue
practicing the art of thanks. If I am
honest, I know that I have been copiously gifted. My life is a gift. Thanks!
Whenever I am tempted to think that I am a self-made man, I should
recognize that simply is not true. I
have been gifted with talent, with opportunity, with mentors, etc. That does not discount the work we do to make
something out of ourselves. But I don’t
want to be so delusional to think I did it all myself.
For me, the art of thanks recognizes the creative Spirit
behind and in everything in life. The
art of thanks recognizes many others who have played a role in my life and
those who are playing a role. I want to
respond to all of them by practicing the art of thanks.
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