The Spiritual and Scientific Benefits of Saying Thank You

By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware | Word In BlackCredit: Photo by Brad Neathery on Unsplash(WIB) – It’s a holiday tradition in many homes: between the clinking of glasses and the passing of the candied sweet potatoes, someone asks everyone to share what they’re thankful for. The ensuing answers are often a mix of the intangible — health, resilience, friendship — with tangible blessings like cars, homes, jobs, and the like. There’s laughter, sometimes tears, and plenty of reflection. But gratitude isn’t just a warm, fuzzy feeling. It’s a practice rooted in something deeper.RELATED:& 5 Thanksgiving-Themed Values Black Students Should Know“The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness,” notes Harvard Health Publishing. It’s about recognizing the good in your life, both big and small, while also seeing how those blessings connect us to something larger — “whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.”As Psalm 100:4 tells us, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”& The Science of Gratitude and HappinessAccording to happiness scholar Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon, there are actually scientific benefits to gratitude, too.Lemon has dedicated her...