In the last “Dan Recommends,” I wrote about how gratitude unlocks the best qualities in each of us. When we show gratitude, it makes us a better person. Research has shown that it improves our sleep, our generosity, our health, and our relationships. I suggest writing a letter to someone to show gratitude and help them understand how much they are appreciated.
Over the holidays, I thought many times about other ways to show gratitude for others. My parents offered me a book with tremendous meaning, The Little Liar, by Mitch Albom (author of Tuesdays With Morrie). The book is a story of 11-year-old Nico Krispis, an angel of a child who had never told a lie. It shows how three intertwined lives of young survivors of World War II are forever changed by the perils of deception and the grace of redemption. How the innocence of children can be shattered by cruelty within the world; and how they had to survive extreme difficulties. Narrated by the voice of Truth itself, The Little Liar is a timeless story. about the power of love to ultimately redeem us, no matter how deeply we blame ourselves for our mistakes.
I found this book to be a gift because it provided me with a profound dose of new insight and understanding of what it means to be a victim of war. During our current time of intercountry war with cultural divisiveness, this book provided me with one more nugget of compassion and insight into a culture that has never forgotten. Just like Nico, the little liar, life is about continuously becoming our next best version. Sometimes, in order to survive, we make poor choices—often unknowingly. One of the many gifts from this book is a reminder that every side has a story; each of our journeys fill us with an opportunity for a lifetime of growth. As Nico experienced, no doubt that the human race can best succeed when all people receive grace, love another, and accept the need for redemption.
