Gratitude Gator from Steve's Sketchbook
Be Thankful
Gratitude Gator reminds you to show gratitude to others. And he also reminds you that I am thankful for you! On top of all of that, he is also the latest entry from Steve’s Sketchbook, too.
As we rush through life, we often forget to be thankful for what we have or for what others have done for us. Or if we are thankful, we do not take the time to show others our gratitude.
It does not take much to let someone know that you are thankful. You can start by just saying, “Thank you.” Or ask them a question about themselves. Do something to show interest in them. You can also send a card, write an email, make a phone call, or just about anything else to show a little attention to someone. It really does make a difference. You do not always know what sort of day someone might be having, and a kind and thankful word may be just what they need to brighten the day.
Thank You!
Also, this is as good of a time as any to say that I am thankful for you. Yes, you! I might not know who you are, and we might not have met in person. But I am thankful that you are reading this, even if you do not read any of the other posts here at the Burnsland website. I am thankful for whatever brought you this way.
Maybe I do not say that enough. And maybe it is a little awkward in a blog post, and even more so in every blog post. But this is definitely a heartfelt “thank you.” And it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet! That just goes to show that you can show gratitude any time at all. Don’t wait for a special day.
Bible Verse
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. - Colossians 3:15
About the Sketch
So what exactly does an alligator have to do with gratitude? Not much, really. When I first drew this, it was just a sketch of an alligator standing there and waving. I was not really happy with that, because I have used that pose before. Apparently, standing and waving is my go-to pose. I need to work on that some.
After thinking about it for a bit, I thought I could have him hold a sign. Why not a “thank you” sign? Something the other day triggered a thought that we should show more gratitude to each other, although right now I don’t remember what that trigger was. And if one sign is good, then two signs are even better, right? The repetition of “you” drives home the point that I am actually talking to you. It catches your eye a little more, and it makes you linger a little longer to read what both signs say.
Fortunately, it was pretty easy to erase the original arms and add in the new arms holding the signs. As a precaution, I did save the original file and work on a duplicate copy, just in case things got out of hand. But everything turned out just fine. Here’s how the original looked, in case you were wondering:
I had mentioned in the previous Steve’s Sketchbook post that I still want to do sketches, even though the last few entries have been more of a painting style. So I sketched this alligator as a result of that. I am hoping to do more in the future, just as soon as I figure out what to sketch next. Any suggestions?
