Unboxing the Gift of Gratitude
Yesterday I had the wonderful time talking about gratitude and it’s many gifts to teens and young adults of Magis Deo Youth. There were 20 participants in all from the age range of 13 yo to 25 yo. I had the pleasure of sharing with them the Examen as a source of gifts where gratitude can be reaped. Happiness, hope, acceptance and self awareness are its by products. We ended the session with gratitude journaling and recommended activities to extend the fruits from our reflection, sharing and taking insights.
Allow me to share these activities and insights with you so that, you may continue them at home with your child. Or, in my case, since our kids are young adults, strike a conversation with over dinner perhaps or family bonding time.
1. We were able to make a playlist of hit songs of the year of their birth. This is link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1FOmPcBDTHfohTdJ6aitB4?si=faebc07391ce4707
Listen to the songs for yourself and go back to memory lane. Relive moments of joy, glory and challenges that define the age or your generation. This may also lead you to reflect on what was then to what is now. Who are we back when we were starting out as young parents and, over the years what have we become. I hope that what ever your discovered are, it will lead you to a desired grace. Talk to your kids about this. They have no idea of the year or the first five years of their lives. This would make for good story time where in you can nurture family history and enrich the personal story of your child. Such activities at home contribute to the strengthening of family ties and the building of identity. On the other hand, if they do not initiate, let them be. These things take time. There are other creative ways to forge family ties and open channels of communication.
2. We were tired. Many of them were wrapping up the final requirements and exams in school. The recently concluded PH elections was stressful besides. I consider it a blessing to have 20 young people in the session last May 15, 2022. Somehow, having someone to share one’s burdens, worries, relief and joys was cathartic. Listening to them express themselves made me think of rest and productivity. As a gen Xer, I worked hard and partied harder. How are the young people of today managing their time and work/study life balance? Aha. A fascinating topic to explore for another talk or session!
3. We used the Examen as framework for reflection and prayer, recognizing gratitude as an energy and a way of seeing or perceiving its many gifts. Here is the link to the ppt deck I used in the session - https://lovealibrarian.blogspot.com/2022/05/unboxing-gifts-of-gratitude.html
Have a look at the resources I put together. Feel free to do a follow through especially, the activity on gratitude journaling. We value the fruits of our reflections. Taking action on them is just as important.
I was the facilitator of the online workshop on gratitude with teens and young people of the Magis Deo Youth Ministry and I was talking about being thankful and introducing the Examen. I was the one graced with hope and the brilliance of youth. Let this not be wasted. Never take this for granted.
They have so much to say. They make a lot of sense. We need to listen to them. Really, really listen. In the end, it was I who gained and learned so much.
#magisdeo #ignatianspirituality #examen #ignatianformation
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