I remember when my boys sacked groceries at our local grocery store. They made a very astute observation about the many people who walked through the doors:

As a person aged, they were generally either grumpy or cheerful.

The grumpy seemed to complain about everything. The prices. The weather. Their knees. Whether the groceries were bagged right or not.

The cheerful always had a smile. They seemed to go out of their way to make conversation, to lift others up, or to add some humor to the world. They were fun to be around.

I suppose the adage is true. We reap the fruit of the seed we sow. And we always reap in multiples.

My mother is nearing her 93^rd year on this planet. She lives with us. So each morning I head downstairs to make sure that she gets started on her first medication of the day. I consider it one of the privileges in life I get to enjoy.

The routine is always the same. I pull out her medicine. She asks me what it is. I remind her what it is. And then she says, “Thank you!” I kiss her on the forehead, and she often says “Thank you” again.

My mom has lived a hard, stormy life. Things have not been easy. Her gratitude is the result of cultivation—of counting joyful the blessings she has been given and overlooking that which was never hers to possess.

How is your seed sowing going?

Photo by Nick Karvounis on Unsplash

Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published August 27, 2021

Topics: Lessons with Bill

Family StoriesGratitudeJoyLegacy