Every Sunday morning, I watch a Facebook live Armenian Mass from St Sahag and St Mesrob church in RI. It’s where I grew up and, thanks to the pandemic, I have been able to participate online, something I hadn’t done since I moved to California 26 years ago.

This Sunday, the priest, also known as Der Hayr (սեր հայր), was speaking to a group of small children, as part of his sermon on giving thanks. To make it easier for the kids to grasp the concept of gratitude, he used a donut as an example. He invited the children to tell him what they saw when he held up the donut.  Some said the frosting, some said the dough and some said the hole. 

He wanted to convey that, even in hard times when we may feel down and lonely, there is usually something of value we can identify and appreciate. His message to the children and to the broader congregation was that gratitude is a choice we can make, based on the perspective we adopt.

One of the kids asked “but what about the hole? I see it.” Kids are so smart and this little boy was right. The hole is always there. You can’t not see it. Der Hayr agreed. The hole is there. No question. And we can choose to see all that’s around it as well. He said:

“As you go through life, have one goal. Look at the donut and not the hole.”

The same is true in life. There are holes all around, especially in the last two years. Some might say that it has all been one big hole. 

No matter what, there is goodness and sweetness if we choose to experience them. A smile from someone you see, something delicious you taste, a song that you love…if we look and listen, we can surely find at least one thing. 

Where are the sweet spots in YOUR life?