What Can Gratitude Look Like In Heartbreaking Circumstances?

The other day I was hearing an interview with a mother who was speaking about the death of her teenage child, that occurred over ten years ago.  During the course of the conversation, she revealed that her child had been in an accident that was caused by a drunk driver.  Although it has taken years to be able to come to terms with this tragic loss, she managed to keep positive and upbeat during the course of the interview.  She sounded as if she was beaming when describing her daughter that lived for such a short period of time on this earth.  Through her recollection of countless memories that were made as a result of her child's presence while she was alive, there was a beautiful life that was described.  What followed towards the conclusion of the interview was that she would go to the place where the accident occurred once a month and place some fresh flowers in memory of her.  A man came upon her on one of those occasions to acknowledge the fact that he knew what had happened there many years ago.  At the conclusion of his conversation he also mentioned that he had been an alcoholic for many years and would drive down that same street where this accident took place.  The day he realized that it was due to a drunk driver, he decided it was time to stop drinking and had been sober ever since.  The mother was speechless and he proceeded to thank her for not letting her child be forgotten by placing those flowers at that fateful location.  He walked away from there and she described in beautiful fashion how this encounter had made her feel.  She realized in an instant that her daughter, although no longer living, was able to cause a person to change their life for the better.  For her, it became a defining moment of validation that her child's loss was not in vain.  She was even more grateful for the life that her daughter was able to live along with the contributions that she made and even upon her farewell.  I was mesmerized by this discussion as anyone would, because it was a wonderful description of what gratitude can look like in the face of heartbreaking circumstances.  The story of her daughter and this man who did not know any of them, while it concluded in a full circle moment for all, was breathtaking to say the least.  Although many of us may have instances of how were were able to stay positive despite a tough trial, it can be difficult to maintain that composure in the darkest of moments.  The next time you are faced with a low point where you may feel that the world is closing in on you, do your best to find something to be thankful for.  Even though it sounds counter intuitive, you will find that having the smallest amount of gratefulness will provide you with a sense of calm, that can sometimes be the thing that is needed to get you past your storm.