Gratitude Hotline

Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. How may I help you today? You want to say "thank you" to your mom for putting a Band-Aid on your owie and kissing it and making it feel better? Aww! That always makes me feel good. I hope you're feeling better after getting an owie. Let me transfer you to our Good for the Soul Department. Please hold. Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. Please hold. Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. How may I assist you today? You want to thank your dad for coming to your soccer game and cheering you up after losing the game? By taking you out to get ice cream? Oh, that's so nice of him! He's a good sport, and so are you! Let me transfer you to our Teamwork Makes the Dream Work Department. Please hold. Thank you for holding. How may I help you today? You want to thank your best friend for coming to your birthday party, and getting you that gift you were eyeing after going to the mall together? So cool! She's such a wonderful friend. And friends are a great thing to have these days, no matter where you are. Let me transfer you to our Friendship Department. Please hold. Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. How can I help you? You want to thank your husband for rubbing your back as you sick for the past few nights? I'm sorry you weren't feeling well. Do you have the flu? Oh, you're pregnant! Congrats! And it's been going on for quite a while now? I bet you're having a girl. I was right! Congrats again! But seriously, it's great to have someone rubbing your back when you're upchucking so much and allowing you to get enough rest and making sure you're trying to eat something to have strength for you and the baby. That's love right there. I bet you're lucky to have him in your life. Let me transfer you to our Little Blessings Department. And feel better soon! This, too, will pass! Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. Please hold. Thank you for holding. How may I help you? You want to express gratitude to your neighbors for helping your sick child have a wonderful Halloween with them leaving their candy for him? That's such a great story! You see, there is kindness and compassion in the world if we know where to look, and it can be found in the most unexpected of places. I hope your little boy had a wonderful Halloween, thanks to his neighbors! Let me transfer you to our People Helping Other People Department. Enjoy! Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. How can I help you today? You want to congratulate your teacher on her retirement after teaching you the most important lessons about the career you're pursuing right now? Happy retirement to your instructor! I'm so glad you had such a wonderful mentor to encourage you and sometimes push you to what you want to do as a career. It shows that she believes in you, and teachers can be found anywhere if you know where to look. It also shows that she did her job well if you're one of the many students she had the pleasure of instructing. All teachers should be shown gratitude for what they do, no matter what grade level they teach. Let me transfer you to our Well Wishes Department. Remember you can do anything you can put your mind to, and let all you've been taught inside and outside the classroom. Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. How may I assist you today? You want to express your humblest appreciation to your mom for loving you for who you are as an out and proud gay man? Wow. First of all, kudos to you for doing something that is not very easy to do for many people like you. But more importantly, I applaud your mom for showing her unconditional love to you as a human being, because that's how we should all be treated. Whatever our sexual preferences are, each and every one of us is deserving of love. I wish all families who have gay children or relatives can see that, but sadly, that's still not the case. I will definitely send some love your way, as well as a salute! Let me transfer you to our Unconditional Love Department. Love is love is LOVE! Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. How can I help you? You want to show some love and appreciation to your spouse/significant other for spending the day and night bingeing Netflix with you? Aww, that's awesome! There are days when simply doing nothing can be the best thing to do for yourself and your mental health. And that's OK! We can't always be on the go 24/7, and we need time to relax, breathe, refresh ourselves, and simply enjoy life in the midst of the craziness and frustrations of our lives. It's always nice to have someone to spend the day with, even if they occasionally drive you crazy! That's also called love. Let me transfer you to our Little Blessings Department. Let me know what shows you recommend to watch next on Netflix. I have some catching up to do! Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. How can I help you? You want to say thanks to your wife for being so strong and courageous as you went off on the front lines in the Middle East, and are receiving treatment for PTSD? Sir, let me say thank you for all that you and your fellow men and women in the armed forces do for all of us. If it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't be able to have this conversation with each other or publicly express gratitude. And the many things we often take for granted. I also want to encourage you to not lose heart and take it one day at a time with PTSD. Many people like you, and even those who aren't in the armed forces, suffer from a mental illness. It doesn't mean that you're a failure or you're crazy or anything like that. I sincerely hope that your wife knows how much she means to you and to your family, and while I can't say I know what it's like being a military spouse, I admire the devotion and bravery each of these women and men has for their significant others while they are away from home. One day soon, we will show that appreciation through funding for the needs of veterans and active members, especially those who are homeless. But in the meantime, I salute you and your wife for all that you do. Let me transfer you to our Never Forgotten, Always Appreciated Department. Thank you for your service, kind sir. Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. How may I assist you today? You want to show your appreciation to your brother who's in baseball? And just played your team on the opposing side and won? But was also a good sport and giving you a hug and saying words of encouragement? Yay! That's so nice of him to do that. Sports can be EXTREMELY competitive, and we forget that while there are joy and pride in winning, there's also sorrow and disappointment in losing. It hurts to lose, but there must be healing in knowing that both of you are good sports and raise each other up and not tear each other down. Oh. At least not all of the time. It helps to remember, right? Well, both of you are winners in my eyes and I'm glad your parents raised you right to not only respect the game but each other. Let me transfer you to our Good Sports Department. Hope to see both of you in the majors someday. Go, team! Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. Please hold. Thank you for holding. How may I help you? You want to give thanks for being a proud American and is glad that you're not like the rest of the nation who is protesting "Black Lives Matter" or "Say Their Names" or "Not My President"? Well, that's a first for me. Before I transfer you, let me say something important: there is a fine between having pride in your country and being stupid. Just because you have pride in your country, doesn't mean you should be ignorant to all of the problems going on right now, as well as things that need to change. There's a reason why all of these protests are going on right now and it's due to the fact that the president is not being a real leader and unifying people together. Rather, he's dividing people by constantly criticizing and demeaning others without any regard for their feelings and who they are as individuals. A real leader earns respect by respecting others for who they are, not turn everyone against each other by calling out their differences and making them seem ugly or alien to others. Real gratitude is appreciating all of the people who help you along the way and taught you the important lessons that can help you grow and thrive in this journey we call life, no matter what their race, religion, sexuality, or gender. You shouldn't have to limit yourself to just being around people of your own race and religion. It takes getting to know people of different ethnicity and personality from you to see how much we are all alike as human beings. I understand your anger at me calling you out, but I'm sorry to say that's the truth and that's why so many people are out protesting and resisting right now. Oh, you want to speak to my manager? Let me transfer you to her right now. Perhaps she can bring clarity on what being grateful really means, and it shouldn't have to be about you all the time. I'm sorry I couldn't help you. Have a nice day. Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. I'm sorry for the lengthy hold. How can I help you? You want to thank your job for providing you with a car so that you don't have to walk 18 miles each day anymore? That's so kind of them! I hope you know how lucky you are to have such a supportive business to work with. They're hard to come by these days. And you'd like to add that you're grateful for them hiring you? That is a very big ounce of gratitude right there! It's hard finding a job these days, let alone the right one that not only provides income but also makes you happy. It may take years to finally find it. Wherever you are on your path to your dream career, I'm glad you've found a strong network of employees and supervisors who will help you out and make sure you get to and from work safely. Let me transfer you to our Good Job Department. Take care, and enjoy the new car! Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. How may I help you? You want to thank all of the doctors and nurses for being by your uncle's side when he was sick and helped him feel better? Absolutely! It's been a trying time for all of those working in the medical field right now, and they may not get all of the praise and accolades they deserve right now. They're willing to put their lives on the line to help others, especially now, and they're not asking for much. They just want you to be well and take care of yourselves. They want to save lives and bring new lives into the world. It's not an easy task, but they feel pride in what they do, even in the midst of casualties and death. Even when they're exhausted and want to sleep for hours on end, the doctors and nurses get back up and do it again because they want to make the world a better place. I'm glad the ones that stayed with your uncle when he got sick stayed with him and rooted for him to hang on and heal and not die. That's not only hope. That's love. I will transfer you to our Good Medicine Department. Please tell your uncle that I hope he continues to make a full recovery, and be sure to spread lots of love to him. Take care! Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. Please hold. Thank you for holding. What can I do for you today? You want to show your gratitude to the actors of a show you've seen today, and how much it spoke to you? That's great! The arts are an integral part of an individual's life, whether that's theatre, music, paintings, dance, film, TV, literature, and more. It allows us to remember why we're all human beings and how much we are all alike in our feelings and the different paths that come our way. It can sometimes make us uncomfortable, but it's essential for us to feel this way in order to get us thinking about the way things are, question what was taught to us, and inspire us to be better individuals to each other. As Viola Davis once said, acting is one of those jobs, if not the only job, that celebrates what it means to live a life. Those in the arts have the opportunity to exhume the stories and bring them to life, whether it's traditional or unconventional, widely known or not known at all. The arts ARE essential, contrary to what some people say. I hope you enjoyed the show. What did you say, if you don't mind my asking? Wicked? Oh, that's a good one! Let me transfer you to our Standing Ovation Department. Have a nice day, and go see more theatre! Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. How may I help you? You want to show your appreciation to your friends for holding a surprise birthday party for you? Aw, that's so sweet! Happy birthday! Friends are very important, but the right and true ones are hard to come by. You may not have the most friends, but a small circle is better than numerous people. Friends are more than just people who have the same likes and dislikes as you. They build you up, deeply listen to you, sometimes push you out of your comfort zone or force you to see the faults you have in order to be a better person, stay by your side when you're at your lowest, offer a shoulder to cry on, check on you without being overwhelming or annoying, give you space when you need it the most, offer honest opinions and thoughts about anything and everything, celebrate your happiness and successes, hold your hand through the rough times, and are always there for you through thick and thin. I hope you found that group of friends and will be with them for many years. I will transfer you to our Friendship Department, and I hope you have many more happy birthdays with your friends and celebrate the good times that are to come. Happy birthday! Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. Please hold. Thank you for holding. What can I do for you today? You want to say thank you to your mom for being there for you every single day, even the bad days? Now, that's a nice sentiment! Parents are a great blessing to families, and moms do so much for their children. We often wonder how mothers are able to do it, even when their children become parents themselves. So often, they do so much for us and we don't always show that appreciation every single day. It shouldn't be reserved for just one day out of the year to show our love and respect to the woman who bore us, but it should be every day, even the times we drive them crazy. We wonder how can we live without them, and when they're gone, we grieve but hold onto the hope of being as good of a mother as she was to you. I highly applaud you for showing your gratitude to your mom. We should do that every day of the year, not just once or twice a year. Let me transfer you to The Perfect Fan Department. Be sure to hug your mom tightly and let her know how much she means to you. I know I do.

Thank you for calling the Gratitude Hotline. How may I help you today? Oh, hello there! You wanted to ask me a question? Well, go ahead! What am I grateful for? Wow. Nobody's asked me that before in all my years here at the Hotline. Well, some of the things are simple enough, but there are also substantial things as well. Here goes. I'm grateful for waking up to each new day full of possibilities and adventures. I'm grateful for my health - physical, mental, and emotional. I'm grateful for my glasses to help me see. I'm grateful for my music to listen to every day and allow me to get lost in the melodies and harmonies that are all so beautiful to me. I'm grateful for books that allow me to travel to new places without leaving home, as well as becoming informed and question the way things are in order to move forward. I'm grateful for my stuffed animals, or "furries" as I call them, for keeping me company when I need a hug or someone to listen to. I'm grateful for my improving and growing cooking skills. I'm grateful for slippers, sweaters, warm blankets, heavy coats, and boots. I'm grateful for being healthy for the first time in a long time. I'm grateful to have lost 71 pounds and I am making a healthy lifestyle to live out for the rest of my days. I'm grateful for the roof over my head. I'm grateful for the food to eat and drinks to drink. I'm grateful for a mint tea to drink on cold, winter days. I'm grateful for ginger ale to have when my stomach is upset. I'm grateful for my job here at the Gratitude Hotline to help provide income for my acting career. I'm grateful for all of the acting opportunities I was blessed to have over the course of four and a half years. I'm grateful for my medication to help with my mental health illnesses, and that I'm in a much better place than I was over six years ago. I'm grateful for laughter in all shapes and forms. I'm grateful for the days doing nothing and relaxing. I'm grateful for common sense, which is hard to come by these days and often forgotten when we need it the most! I'm grateful for being exposed to the performing arts that allow me to remember my humanity, be uncomfortable at times, and be inspired by the stories. I'm grateful for learning new things each and every day. I'm grateful for the sunny days. I'm grateful for the warm, windy days. I'm grateful for snowy winters. I'm grateful for the change of seasons, even if it's not as transparent as we would like it to be. I'm grateful for my Bible. I'm grateful for the opportunities I had to travel to new places, there and back again. I'm grateful for my aunt and uncle and cousins. I'm grateful for my friends in theatre and church, and those in neither theatre nor church. I'm grateful for my mom. I'm grateful to God for allowing me to live out this life with kindness, courage, empathy, open-mindedness, humility, joy, and love. And I'm especially grateful to be able to share my thanksgiving, appreciation, admiration, and joys with you. It has been a pleasure. Mind you, these are just what I'm thankful for and what I've experienced in my life. I know yours are different than mine, and we should be thankful for being able to have different paths that allow us to grow and thrive each and every day. We're not the same, and we shouldn't try to copy each other. Be grateful for your individuality. There's only one you. Be proud of who you are. Is there anything else I can help you with today? Well, thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. I really appreciate it. Have a good day. And have a happy Thanksgiving, wherever you are. Take care.