Circa 2002/2003
Little did I know, I was in my final year of college. I hadn't yet declared a major though I'd been attending school almost three years. My mind was in a very dark place. I had no idea what the future would hold for me and even less of an idea as to what my next step should be. I was lost. I felt alone. I experienced feelings of complete hopelessness and despair. As I sat on the cold window ledge of my third floor bedroom, tears streaming down my face, the thought occurred to me to end my life. I turned to look at the time and in the darkness of my room I could clearly see the digits on my alarm clock. 12:34am. Somewhere deep within the depths of my soul a voice whispered "1-2-3-4 What are you grateful for?" I don't remember how I answered the question that day but I do remember it was enough to pull me from that ledge, both physically and figuratively.
Samantha L Weber
Founder of the Be Grateful Project
Circa 2013/2014
In August of 2013 I had the distinct privilege of going on my very first mission trip to the Dominican Republic. The country is beautiful and breathtaking but also has pockets of extreme poverty. It was in one of these areas where we spent most of our time helping to build a much needed two-story medical facility. There were no cranes, no dump trucks, no power tools of any kind. The building was being erected by the power of human hands! It was an incredibly humbling experience that left me physically exhausted at the end of each day. I didn't know it at the time but it would take over two years of daily dedicated workers to complete this facility. I thought I was going to help a poor community gain access to proper medical care. But in the end, they helped me grow and mature as an individual more than I could've ever helped them. When I returned home, I quickly realized how ungrateful we truly are as a society. The very next day I posted on my Facebook page a reason to be grateful and I continued to post such reasons for the next 364 days. As I was preparing to return to the DR a year later, it was my brother who inspired me to create a piece of artwork that would embody this spirit of gratitude.
Circa 2022/2023
Fast forward to present day and this theme of gratitude continues to be a constant anchor in my life. I've been inspired to write a 40-day devotional and a daily calendar, both centered around the concept of gratitude. I am currently working with my amazing publisher, Mike Nicloy of Nico 11 Publishing and with a local printer, the Fox Company, to bring these concepts to life. The calendar is expected to be released and ready for sale by late October, early November of 2023. The devotional will be soon to follow. A special thanks to my friend Jaime Dechamps for the use of her photography. The beauty of the ocean is the inspiration behind all Be Grateful artwork and I am beyond grateful for this stock of photos she has so graciously shared with me.
Take A Moment
Pause what you are doing and take a moment right now to reach out to someone you know. Tell them one or two reasons why you are grateful to have them in your life. You just might make their entire day!
Help Fund the Be Grateful Project
Even though this project has incurred many expenses to me personally, I promise to never directly ask you for monetary donations. If you would like to donate, you may do so by clicking the icon below. Your love, prayers, and support of all kinds are greatly appreciated.
