The Price of Humility
She grabbed her by the wrist in exasperation, causing the girl to recoil with a hiss:
"What did you think? I would be grateful? being so tied down? trying to meet your demands? That I'd take some sort of submissive joy catering to your whims? I NEVER asked to be born!" She felt handcuffed; a debtor, not a daughter.
Raising her voice unnecessarily, she freed herself vehemently as she hotly spat these hateful words, and whisked out the door— stumbling suddenly down to the bottom of the long circular stairs! Of course, she had meant to stomp out of the living room, descend to the garage, and make a show of her independence by taking off in the car. "Her's," but generally speaking a family buy... 4.9% APR with maturation in a year or so.
As she lay at the bottom like a rag, with her dolled up face contorted shamefully, she came to an insight, reflecting how very nearly she could have been lying for the rest of her life as a paraplegic, instead of just being figuratively paralyzed on the concrete floor..... Life disciplines, and she had been arrogant! She had begun to care less— rejecting gratitude. She found herself chastened by this incident, realizing suddenly, that we are all collateral, regardless of age, experience, or position. A fragment is only owned by the whole... she is indebted to no one!
Ingratitude, more than anybody, was slapping her in the face. She would nurture this insight, be more cognizant! Carefully, and deliberately, she picked herself up painfully off of the floor. She would stop chaining herself, and others, with her childish insistence that "They" are responsible for her. She would view Life with Gratitude—come what may.
In sum:
Gratitude is given freely, independent of what is or is not received. In a mysterious way, the capacity for Gratitude precedes any other gift. It's a choice available to us everyday.
When we begrudgingly feel there is a need to exchange something for something (be it good, bad, or indifferent), we are not grateful, we are indebted.