Word Prompt - HAKARAS HATOV - Shira Boshnack

Have you ever sat on a winter evening with a cup of Trader Joe's Moroccan nana tea? Holding the mug and letting the swirls of steam caress your face? Smelling the minty flavor, trying to guess if it’s cool enough to drink? Letting the warm liquid in your mouth and slowly swallowing it, feeling it go down your throat and then warming your insides?

Have you stepped in the shower and let the warm water run down your head, down your back and legs. Have you breathed in the steam and closed your eyes?

Have you taken the chance to appreciate the good moments which you have? Our experiences are so mixed and varied and happen so quickly. There’s always so much to do, dishes to wash, messages and calls to return, lessons to plan, family to talk to. We’re in such a rush, and still sometimes feel like we’re really not getting anywhere. When we can slow ourselves down to take a snapshot of what we experienced, we can truly appreciate what's good. We don’t just speak of gratitude, we speak of hakaras hatov. This means to recognize what’s good; to designate it and to point it out. Most of us don’t have the luxury of spending life in such a state, but when we can steal a couple of minutes with a cup of tea or in the shower, we can start recognizing what is good. If we can open our minds for those moments, we can begin to recognize and thank Hashem for all of the little moments that make up our day.