The Many Faces and Facets of Grace
The first time we heard the word grace, we were likely sitting at a table, about to begin a meal. And someone said grace. Not just the word, they said grace. That’s how many of us describe a short prayer before a meal. As a child, it was likely the first prayer we heard. It was about gratitude and being thankful for what we were about to enjoy.
From the beginning then, grace seemed to be about something you expressed.
Over time, we would then hear about grace in other ways. It was more about movement than speaking, but it was still about something we did and had an element of expression.
Someone moved gracefully or with grace. It could have been a dancer, an ice skater, or even a basketball player going for the perfect shot, any number of people. But there was something fluid and beautiful about how they moved their body, and we called it grace.
I can’t say that anyone ever said that about me. Graceful movement wasn’t something I seemed to be able to emulate, even though I admire it. But as a pianist, I could achieve a graceful way of playing the notes so that they were soothing and uplifting. A graceful sound. Melodic. As a writer, I can do the same by working on my craft and finding the right cadence and flow for my words.
These examples show that grace is ultimately about how we do something at a higher level, on a different plane than the mundane.
Meals that merited that pause took on higher importance.
Movement that merited that description took on a heightened appreciation.
Any artistry that had exceptional elegance moved others.
When you stop to think about grace in another way, where grace is given rather than just achieved, it seems to still be about the same thing.
The next time you think about grace and the need to give or receive it, think about that. It changes our perspective when we realize that bowing our head in thanks, moving with fluid freedom, and taking in the beauty of artistry is the ultimate path to happiness and success. And it is there we fill ourselves with grace so we can then extend it to others.
When we show grace, either to ourselves or others, we’re giving that relationship more importance. It changes how we move and navigate our way through life and gives us a higher appreciation for everything and everyone in it. And, yes, it creates a reverence for life, knowing that above all, grace begins with us on a spiritual level no matter what our religion.
Grace. Going back to the beginning, a prayer of gratitude no matter when or how you express it.
