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By the Numbers: “Counting” Gratitude
By Cornelia Powell | August 8, 2008
If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.
-Meister Eckhart, 14th century
Numbers play a big part in planning a wedding: the size of the guest list, how many attendants to have, the price of the reception, the size of your wedding’s carbon imprint. Whether it’s about staying within your budget, being as “green” as possible, or including all of his relatives, you’re busy counting while planning a wedding!
It’s not always easy to get the numbers to match your heart’s desire in the simplest of circumstances, but it becomes especially challenging when planning a wedding since you’re attempting to stuff so much into one event. And you do want to please everyone, even when you know that’s impossible, and that the more “enlightened” way to go about this is to take a deep breath, center yourself, and just be “at one with the universe.” (But then there is his Aunt Hattie who is impossible to please and impossible to ignore.)
I’m reminded of the quote from writer Eric Hoffer: The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings. Hmmmm. What if planning your wedding became about “counting your blessings” first, then taking a head count second? What if being grateful was always first on your “to do” list? How would it change your life if everything followed “thank you”?
Philosopher Alfred Painter said: Saying thank you is more than good manners. It is good spirituality. So whether you have only a dozen people at your wedding or you fill a grand ballroom, the spirit of your wedding comes from the gratitude in your heart and how you share it, yes?
If indeed saying “thank you” is like saying a prayer, then offer up your gratitude in countless ways, and the blessings of your wedding day will be abundant — no matter how you count them!
Love. Listen. Let go.
… with love from Cornelia
Topics: For Brides, Relationship, Women's Notes |