An experiment in gratitude

From a very young age we were told by our parents to always use the magic words, please and thank you! You’ve probably even learned the song at school – you’re singing it right now, aren’t you?

Little did we know back then, just how powerful and truly magical those words are, in particular, the words thank you.

You may have heard of the term, ‘the power of gratitude’. If you go to the self-help section of the bookshop and choose any book at random, you are likely to find that it will have a chapter on gratitude.

Gratitude is incredibly powerful, and the daily practice of showing gratitude, even for the simplest of things, can contribute hugely towards our happiness and well-being.

We can also apply it to our relationships; too often we take for granted the people who have supported us, and without whom, we simply wouldn’t be where we are today.

We all have those special and wonderful people in our lives, they may exist in the form of parents, siblings, spouses, partners, best friends, or teachers and mentors, but do they know how much they are appreciated? Have you ever told them just how much they mean to you, or how grateful you are that they are in your life?

I first came across ‘An Experiment in Gratitude’ while preparing a lesson on happiness for one of my English classes a couple of years ago. ‘An Experiment in Gratitude’ was part of a segment entitled ‘The Science of Happiness’, and was created by the awesome people at Soul Pancake. Soul Pancake was founded in 2009 by Rainn Wilson (you may know him as Dwight from ‘The US Office’) and they set out to explore all of what it is to be human.

The idea of the whole experiment is to write about a person who has had an influence on you – then you call that person on the phone and read to them what you wrote.

I loved the idea, and thought I would give it a go. I choose to write about my mother Patricia, a remarkably resilient woman, and a special soul. Even just the process of writing the letter alone, I found to be especially powerful and emotional. I called Trish via Skype to read the letter to her, and managed to capture the moment on video.

I have included the link below where you can watch me read my letter to my mother, and listen in on the intimate conversation between us that followed. I should mention that she had no idea that I was recording our conversation, so please pardon the French!

It was a surreal experience- a whirlwind of emotions hit me throughout the entire exercise. Strangely, I was very nervous at the beginning for some reason, and it perhaps just goes to show that we don’t open up often enough to the people closest to us. My mother on the other hand, was in a state of shock as far as I could tell. I think I took her by surprise and she simply could not articulate how she was feeling. We were both overcome by the emotion of the whole process, and even now I find it difficult to describe, suffice it to say, that it was truly special.

I particularly loved how after I read her the letter, she began to describe, in her own unique style, the love of a parent for their children. It was poignant, oddly philosophical, and I would imagine that any parent would be able to relate.

Overall, it was an incredibly heartfelt and powerful exercise. I would recommend for anyone to give it a try. Sit down and write a letter to someone who has been a huge influence on your life, then pick up the phone, call them up, and read your letter to them. I guarantee it will put a smile on their face, and yours!

There may even be a joyful tear, or two.

You can watch me read my letter to Trish, and listen to the conversation that followed here.