By Foster Nicholas | Sports Editor
Maybe it’s just me, but since I arrived at Baylor, the word blessed has steadily frustrated me due to the boastful connotation and all-about-me attitude that follows each unnecessary use. As a student who came to Waco with no interest or intention in finding a religious community, every “I am blessed…” grinds my gears.
Why can’t we just be grateful?
By dictionary definition and connotation, blessed means being “endowed with divine favor and protection.” Yet too many people say they are so blessed to have good friends, family and wealth — in reality, those are things that other people have provided for you, not some divine favor. Saying blessed here implies that God blessed you instead of millions of other people, even those you are grateful for.
In the past 10 years, the phrase has grown beyond just religious dimensions, with “#blessed” becoming one of the most-used tags on social media. From football players to seven-year-old girls, a social media frenzy caught fire. But even as that viral light dimmed, the word became normalized in daily conversations outside a religious sphere. This brings me to the point that it is too interchangeably used with other phrases.
Instead of being blessed, the terms thankful and grateful both signify that the opportunities provided to you are meaningful. They each show humility and an understanding that you also put in effort to make things happen. By nature, being blessed takes all responsibility off yourself and others, instead insinuating that everything was meant to be or would happen the way it did no matter what.
For example, I hear this one a lot: “I feel blessed to have a caring family and supportive friends.” This just doesn’t make sense. I don’t see God showing up at every family event and putting in the effort. It’s the actual people in your life doing that, and they deserve the appreciation.
Not only does it take out the care factor for others, but also yourself. As normal people living in an ever-changing world, we have to do more than ever to make our presence known. Whether it be working to get a new job or finishing a marathon, those things aren’t blessings — they are things you worked to achieve. I don’t see a divine plan working its butt off through all the early mornings and late nights to accomplish big things and reach goals. You did that, so take credit.
I understand that most of this sounds like crazy talk and shutting down religion, but that’s not what I’m trying to do. There are certainly blessings and grace to be had, but it’s silly to give credit to something intangible when you could appreciate what is right in front of you.
