My mom, ever since we were little girls, has really always

The words of Haylie Duff are spoken with the warmth of memory and the gravity of wisdom passed down through generations: “My mom, ever since we were little girls, has really always rallied us together—my sister, our friends—to instill in us the fact that other people don’t have what we have, so we have to be really thankful for things.” In this reflection we see not only the gratitude of a daughter, but the eternal power of a mother’s teaching. For the mother is often the first philosopher, the first guide, the first moral compass, shaping the hearts of her children not with grand speeches, but with daily reminders of humility and perspective.

To be thankful for things is more than a polite habit; it is the recognition that abundance is not universal, that blessings are not guaranteed, and that to forget this truth is to drift into arrogance. Haylie Duff recalls how her mother rallied them together—a phrase that echoes the imagery of a leader gathering her people before a great journey. She instilled within them the discipline of perspective, teaching them that while they might live in comfort, there were countless others who did not. In this gathering, the seed of empathy was planted, a seed that would grow into compassion and responsibility.

The ancients revered this wisdom. Consider the Stoics, who taught their students to reflect daily upon what they had, and to remember how easily fortune could shift. Or recall the story of Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome, who even in his palace of marble, reminded himself of mortality, of humility, of the fleeting nature of wealth and glory. Like Haylie Duff’s mother, he understood that without such grounding, the human heart becomes arrogant, forgetting that others carry burdens unseen. Gratitude, then, is not a luxury but a safeguard against pride.

The mention of friends and family being rallied together reminds us that gratitude is not only personal but communal. When a mother gathers children and their companions to reflect upon blessings, she forges not only thankful individuals, but a circle of awareness that ripples outward. Such gatherings shape culture itself. In every age, communities that remember their blessings also remember their duty to share; but communities that forget descend into selfishness. Duff’s mother acted as the ancient matriarchs once did, ensuring that those within her care would learn not only to cherish what they had, but to be mindful of those who lacked.

There is also in this teaching the reminder of contrast: that gratitude often arises most strongly when we recognize inequality. It is not enough to simply list what we have; we must remember the countless others who have less. By drawing her children’s eyes outward—away from their own comforts toward the struggles of others—Duff’s mother created in them the habit of humility. This mirrors the teachings of many faiths, where gratitude and generosity are forever linked: give thanks, and from that thankfulness, give freely.

The lesson we must carry is clear: gratitude must be taught, nurtured, and practiced. It is not born naturally in the human heart, which is quick to compare upward and slow to look downward. We must, like Duff’s mother, rally those around us—our children, our friends, our communities—to remember that what we enjoy is not universal, and that to be thankful is both a duty and a privilege. Without this discipline, blessings curdle into entitlement; but with it, blessings blossom into joy and generosity.

Therefore, let us act. Begin within your homes: gather your families, your friends, your companions, and remind them—remind yourselves—that many walk without the comforts we enjoy. Speak gratitude aloud, so that it is heard and remembered. Practice it daily in small things, so that it becomes second nature. And when you give thanks, let it not end in words alone—let it move your hand to generosity, your heart to compassion, and your spirit to humility. For the wisdom of Haylie Duff’s words is timeless: gratitude is not only a feeling, it is a way of life, taught by those who love us and carried forward as a light for future generations.