The Value of gratitude

Today, when I sat in front of my dialysis patient to make rounds, she looked at me and said: “I’m just so thankful for every morning I get to see another day.”

Hearing this from her hit me different.

Why?

Because while many of us start our day frustrated about traffic, flight delays, rushing to the gym, running late to work, or wondering what we’ll have for dinner, some of my patients are simply grateful to wake up and breathe.

That kind of gratitude will silence your complaints.

Kidney disease has a way of stripping life down to its essentials. Every dialysis session is a reminder that life itself is a gift, not a guarantee.  The strength, resilience, and faith of my patients often teach me more than any medical textbook ever could.

And science supports what she feels:

• People who express gratitude have 25% higher levels of life satisfaction.

• Gratitude lowers stress hormones like cortisol and can reduce depression by up to 30% in clinical studies.

• Patients who regularly express gratitude show improved immune function, better sleep, and lower blood pressure.

On the other hand: Chronic complaining and ingratitude increase stress, anxiety, and inflammation, worsen cardiovascular health, and elevate the body’s “fight or flight” response even when there’s no threat.

In short: gratitude heals, but ingratitude harms! Not just spiritually, but also physiologically.

The Bible already told us this long before the research: “Give thanks in ALL circumstances.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Not because everything is good, but because gratitude changes us.

Some of the strongest teachers of gratitude are the ones who suffer the most, like my beloved patients. Every treatment, they still smile, still fight, and still say “Thank you, God.”

So before we complain about what we don’t have, remember: Someone is out there grateful just to see another morning.

My patients are truly amazing people.

Perspective changes everything.

Much love, health, and blessings.