Gratitude

Grat·i·tude
/ˈgrætɪˌtud, -ˌtyud/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[grat-i-tood, -tyood] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun
the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful:

This morning I woke up exhausted--you know the nights when you've had a descent amount of sleep and it just doesn't suffice? With only 1 week of school left, I have been running at full speed for 8 months now, and am right smack in the middle of finals. So...yesterday was a 12+hr day of studying and practicing injury protocols on people...and this morning...my hands ached. I got to my shift at the temple bright and early this morning...actually it was still dark, (silly people...who chooses to live this far North of the equator when they could enjoy the sunshine all year long...? ;) I arrived at the temple and enjoyed my first couple of hours, still subtly aware of the pain in my hands... when I had the opportunity to help a young lady about my age.

This girl was strikingly beautiful. She was tall, slender and had beautiful long hair and one of the sweetest smiles I have ever seen. A minute or two passed before I noticed that her hands were crippled by rigid muscles and frequent tremors. I never would have known that this lovely young lady was in any physical pain, but when she tried to move her hands it was obvious that her pain was near excruciating and that to make the smallest movements took a completely concerted effort on her behalf. And yet her disposition was brighter than anyone I saw today. She was sincere and very pleasant to be around.

Working with her allowed me the opportunity to think, here I had gone to the temple concerned with the temporary pain in my hands. My pain was very real, but also very evanescent, and, what more...my pain stemmed from the ability to work and move my hands to benefit others all day yesterday.

Today I learned to better appreciate what I have-- I guess you could say I left the temple endowed with gratitude.