Genuine Gratitude

November, a time to give thanks.  Now, while I may agree that gratitude should be a year round emotion, I don't think it hurts to remind everyone how important it is with a festive day of family, friends, love, and happiness.  I have lived a fortunate life with so many wonderful people who love me.  Some of those people even go so far as to love me unconditionally.  Taking a moment to step back and really look at what that means puts a person in a world made purely of perspective.  You begin to realize what it is you mean to all those different people in your life that mean so much to you; you find a sense of appreciation for the difference you make and how that difference is made in so many different, wonderful ways.  With this mentality I'm stepping up and challenging everyone to jot down at least one poem of gratitude.  I'll be putting together a series of them that will come out throughout the month and I've provided a template with instructions below to help get you started.  I mean it when I say I challenge you, but to be honest I mean to be supportive.  So, I guess that means it's more like I strongly encourage you to not just write your Gratitude Poem, but to appreciate what it represents and, more importantly, appreciate your own importance in the lives of others.  Show those people who love you, who couldn't imagine their lives without you, just how much you love them.

Line 1 - There's this/There are these (depending on whether or not this poem is about one person or a group of people) ________________________ (For this blank try using a non-specific noun such as man, woman, guy, gal, etc.)
Line 2 - In my life.
Line 3 - (He's, She's, They're) __________________ (For this blank use a descriptor for the person or persons you made reference to in the first line)
Line 4 - (He's, She's, They're) __________________ (Now do what you just did in the last line again, but with a different descriptor.
Line 5 - And ____________________ (Something specific about who they are, something special that you will always be able to remember about this person or persons, but don't complete the sentence in this line)
Line 6 - (Continue the sentence you started in Line 5 in this line)
Line 7 - Because __________________ (Explain why you can always expect this person to have that quality about them you described in Lines 5 and 6, but don't finish your sentence in this line)
Line 8 - (Finish the explanation you started in Line 7 and at the same time you will be completing the sentence you started in Line 5 in this line)
Line 9 - I'm glad I have ________________ (this is where you clearly identify whoever it is this poem is about)
Line 10 - In my life.

And there you have it.  In ten quick lines you could express just how important a person or persons in your life are to you.  I left the one I made for my older brother below, so that you have an example of what a completed one looks like.  If you're still confused and want some help, just leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I'll get back to you.  I would very much like to see this spread.  I mean, so many meaningless things start trending and I strongly believe that those kinds of things contribute to our loss of perspective, our loss for what actually matters.  This isn't about me or my poetry; this is about showing some genuine gratitude.  Happy writing :-)

Big Brother
There's this guy
In my life.
He's cool.
He's protective.
And he always was my friend
Even on the days I didn't deserve a friend,
Because he loves me enough
To protect me from myself and my bad ideas.
I'm glad I have my big brother
In my life.