Gratitude: Forebears and Future Bearers

The paper focuses on gratitude as a way to honor dignity and build a flourishing future. Our world is marked by war, global warming, pandemic, racial injustice, and wanton destruction of peoples and lands, all supported by worldviews and patterns of living that emphasize private gain and undermine compassion. What is missing is appreciation for the sanctity of all creation. Becoming a good ancestor is grounded in gratitude for God, for our forebears, for their resilience, and for the future. This paper invites self- and community-reflection through poetry, theological analysis of gratitude, and projections of a legacy for future generations.