the word grateful comes from
the Latin gratus & was first used
in English in 1552,
so says the internet wizards,
who remind me I didn’t use
this word – grateful – very much
‘till I realized there was
a hole in my soul,
‘till I found a group of folks
who loved me back to reality
& away from a slippery ledge,
‘till I could love myself
full-fledged, & begin using
that word – grateful –
day in & day out
like it was the oxygen
I needed to survive
(Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash)
