Like others, I had to learn to be grateful.
I had no happiness, and no joy.
Several things caused the sun to disappear from my life.
My only sibling, a brother, died when he was a young man.
We were very close and his death left a void that no one could fill.
His death was closely followed by my grandmothers, and my father.
Many years later, my mother died, leaving me feeling orphaned as an adult.
With each death the chasm as a result of their deaths, became larger.
I learned to put on a good face for friends.
No on knew my pain, I felt as if my heart had been ripped out.
Secretly I wallowed in my pain while searching for peace.
It would take me years of living in what seemed to be darkness before I could even think about being grateful.
Everyone I loved was gone.
What did I have to be grateful for? I began my search at the local library.
I read self-help books, biographies, the Bible, and more in my quest for a life with some semblance of happiness.
Several years passed before the light clicked on, and I began my journey towards being grateful.
I had a son and also a niece that I loved.
When I looked into their faces, I realized that I did have something to be grateful for.
I had their love.
I had been loved for many years by the family that passed on.
While I missed their physical presence, I began to look at how each person had impacted my life.
I decided to write down the things that I was grateful for each New Year's Eve.
This process has become a ritual for me.
I filled page after page in my journal.
I would read those pages a couple of times during the week throughout the year.
Things began to change, I began to change.
I found that I could smile again.
I remember the wonderful times with my family and how blessed I was to have them in my life.
The pain from grief began to disappear.
What's different now? I have an attitude for gratitude.
I now realize that:

• Gratitude can move us forward to new beginnings.
  Don't view starting over as something bad or a failure.
  It's an opportunity to do it right.
  
• Gratitude can help us round off the sharp-edges of pain
• Our attitude affects every aspect of our lives.
  It also affects others.
  
• You must make the decision to be grateful.
  It's not easy, and it doesn't happen over night.
  You must be committed to the process.
  
• Gratitude helps us to improve our self-esteem.
  
• Gratitude helps us to recognize the wonderful things that are happening in our lives.
  Open your heart and your eyes to the good people and things that have happened and are happening in your life.
  
• Being grateful can be seen as a miracle.
  Make a list of all the miracles that have happened in your life, no matter how small.
  
• We can turn difficulties into blessings.
  Our difficulties are an opportunity to grow.
  

Following are the steps to an attitude with gratitude.
These steps, although simple, were the beginnings of the journey to my new life.
It has worked for me.
I pray that it works for you:

1. Take time everyday to do something nice for someone else.
   
2. Set aside time each day to look within, think about your day, meditate, read something inspirational, read the Bible and try to live by it's principles.
   
3. Live for today.
   Stay in the present.
   Don't focus on the past.
   Think about only the good times from the past.
   
4. Remember to smile.
   You can't be sad and smile at the same time.