What does gratitude look like? My parents’ dog Rocky at dinnertime.
Rocky is a young, brown, scruffy labradoodle. Rocky is fed breakfast in the morning and dinner in the evening. He eats the same dry kibble two times every day, and he loves it.
Rocky’s food is stored in the kitchen bathroom. When Rocky hears the bathroom door open, he runs into the kitchen and wags his tail. He watches with eager anticipation as his bowl is filled with a scoop and a half of dry kibble. Then, he runs into his crate and spins around before his bowl is put into the crate, where he eats as fast as possible. Rocky even has a special bowl with a spiral shape designed to slow him down. He gets sick if he eats out of a normal bowl because he eats too quickly.
It doesn’t matter that Rocky already ate the same kibble earlier in the day. It doesn’t matter that Rocky has eaten the same kibble for years. Every meal is a celebration that Rocky makes the most of. Rocky emits energy and excitement during and after dinner, and he wants everyone to know how happy he is. The whole event is a spectacle.
Also, Rocky knows he loves his dinner, and he doesn’t take it for granted. He’ll let you know if it is dinnertime and you are late to feed him.
Rocky’s dinner is now my model for having and expressing gratitude, especially with mundane routines. I challenge myself to live like Rocky. Instead of eating the same dry kibble every day, I commute to the same desk to work five times per week. I go to the same grocery store and I do laundry once per week. Can I be excited for each of these instances of routine? Can I feel and amplify genuine gratitude for what seems boring and regular? Can I show others this gratitude? Just as Rocky lets everyone know that his dinner is late, do I ask more from the people around me to make the most of the good things we have? When I do these things, I am happier, less stressed, more productive, and have better relationships. I believe in the importance of having and reflecting on conscious gratitude. Rocky does it best.
3/2/2025 – Salt Lake City, Utah
Not Yet Wise 