United in Gratitude

The United States is an expansive country characterized by a range of landscapes, cultures, and ideologies. We can live in a single state the size of the average European country, never having visited a majority of the other states, and still feel inextricably tied to the American nation—an identity steeped in red, white, and blue and based on values of liberty and opportunity that unite people of stark difference.

Despite the deep reverence most Americans have for their country, in recent months I’ve heard a lot of negativity regarding the future of the United States. As we prepare to elect a new president, opposing viewpoints take center stage. And sometimes I, too, doubt the efficacy of our country and its systems.

Isn’t that how it usually is? When we grow accustomed to something, we tend to focus on the negative rather than on the positive. We complain or grow complacent and sometimes forget all that we have to be grateful for. I yearn for improvement without adequately recognizing the value of my American heritage. It’s not that I’m truly ungrateful but that I fail to express my gratitude and appreciation on a regular basis.

Surely, Independence Day is a good reminder for me to step up my game; to become better involved in my community; and to articulate in prayer, in writing, and in conversation all of the things I love about my nation rather than mull over its minor annoyances. In the words of former BYU professor Ray L. Huntington, who gave a devotional in 2012, “gratitude is a heavenly, spiritual gift and a spiritual force in our lives.” As Huntington reminds us that even in the midst of shootings, economic difficulty, and political frustration, “consciously choosing to fill our minds with thoughts of our blessings and feeling appreciation for those blessings can change the way we feel and brighten our spirits during difficult times.”

A few weeks ago, I went to a U.S. immigration office to have my fingerprints taken for a British visa. While there, I had the opportunity to exchange a few words with a Central American couple who were officially becoming citizens of the United States. The man explained he’d been waiting three years for the chance to work and live legally in the U.S. His excitement was palpable, and I thought for a moment he was going to cry. I returned home genuinely touched at their hard work and gratitude. How could I seek to emulate their fresh thanksgiving and desire for American opportunity?

I don’t think there’s a universal response to this question, but I know that for me, renewed recognition of my blessings as an American will come when I choose progressive positivity over stifling negativity, when I focus on the people rather than on the problems.

—Kristina Smith, BYU Magazine intern