Marian Seldes: Gratitude Is A Requirement

Interview with James Grissom

New York City

2003

We have to be grateful, always. It is a requirement and I would like to think that I transmitted this thought to my students, to those with whom I worked. 

Listen, we are lucky. We are alive and moving about and we have the capacity--not always used, or wisely--to change our circumstances. That is great, great luck.

It is impossible to be thankful for all that is in your life if you're at the fence and looking over into someone else's yard or home: It always looks so much better, primarily because we can't see the struggle that amassed the good things, and we can't know the lacks or the desires of another person. We have to look at ourselves.

Happiness is to be pursued--that's the promise right in the Declaration of Independence. Happiness shows up, perhaps, but when? But gratitude is ours to have and to share all the time, and I believe that my forcing myself to see what I and everyone has--all the wonderful and unique things--has kept me happy most of the time.

We are surrounded by riches, and we can't walk over or past them in pursuit of a dream. We are living a dream right now, in this moment.

©  2019  James Grissom