Gratitude Beats Bitterness

This is my first attempt at conquering bitterness by composing a gratitude list. How can a guy be thankful while behind bars? I had to think about this idea for a while. One blessing of BOP custody is that time is abundant when you’re wearing greens - the standard issue BOP uniform. At the top of my ‘Grateful List’ is the blessing of a relationship with a wife I adore. This is the obvious choice for a man in love, and after so many years of remaining faithful to this commitment and relationship, it is now the reason to survive the BOP until I’m released from federal custody. It will be ‘The Best Day Ever’ when I graduate! This ray of hope that I have, being the one separated from his family, and the relationships that feed my soul and keep me committed to taking the next step, and then another step and again another step, is a selfish journey. My singular focus is getting home. An incarcerated man must depend on his family and those important relationships. I am thankful for a relationship that has weathered so many storms over the years because it has become a reservoir of trust. Incarceration is a struggle and a mixed bag of negatively charged emotions twisted around in my gut, but we’ve stepped to the edge of the cliff many times before in our lives and sidestepped disaster. I am certain this is only the next experience, and this time it is my turn to be the selfish husband. It is my wife’s turn to be the stronger one, and I find comfort, peace, and rest in this knowledge. I think of our union and I thank the good Lord above.

Another grateful praise is the roof over my family’s head. It is frustrating to be separated from the ones I love, and I can rest easy knowing my wife can find peace and comfort in familiar surroundings while I do my time. I am grateful for a strong woman who can keep our household intact in my absence. I am grateful for a charitable heart and the positive praise that fills her lips and heart. It inspires me, motives me, and gives me a reason for another step. I’ll be home again soon.

I am grateful for clear thinking and an actionable mission statement. My list, a.k.a. my ‘to-do’ list, is the benchmark I use to keep moving, never stopping, and always executing my goals. I will come home a better man than before I arrived at prison, and my mission statements, now a list of six achievable goals, are the framework I use to accomplish my mission. It has been a source of comfort and strength. My list created a necessity for patience and determination all in one, but also a well of satisfaction working towards the things that motivate me to be a better man and husband. It’s a tall order for a bunch of words arranged on a page and named ‘Mission Statement.’ I will take whatever inspiration I can find, and self-enlightenment is an important part of the description.

I am grateful for financial peace and economic security for my family. It is one less thing to worry about while in prison. I have met so many men that struggle with this issue, and I thank the good Lord for peace of mind in this area.

I am grateful for my wife’s insistence that I focus on myself, and do what I must to get home at the first opportunity, but most important of all, her demands that I come home dry. I will accomplish this mission besides my stated missions.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be disciplined and follow through with my mission statements, which include my sixth mission of overcoming bitterness. To conquer my bitterness, I created a ‘Grateful List’ and add to it daily to remind me of my blessings.