The Glad Game

When I was about eight years old, I saw the Walt Disney movie Pollyanna, which introduced me to the idea of positive thinking. Pollyanna was a young orphan sent to live with her middle-aged Aunt Polly, who owned a big house and a sour disposition. In fact the whole town of Harrington, where she lived, was a town full of pessimistic and disheartened people – just the opposite of the heroine, who was completely destitute but blessed with a sunny nature. Pollyanna’s late father was a minister who taught her “The Glad Game.” It was a game that consisted of “finding something in everything to be glad about.”

Here are the lyrics:

“Play the Glad Game, anyone can do it.

The young ones, the old folks–all can play.

Count your blessings, there is nothing to it,

The sad ones, the glad ones–all can play!

When a sad day comes along,

Try to find a song…

If your bluebird flies away

It was your bird for a day!

Play the Glad Game, there is nothing to it

The Glad Game is one game that all the world can play!”

Being a baalas teshuva (a returnee to Torah observance) I often reflect on my secular childhood. As I watch my grandchildren play in the sukkah, dress up for Purim or act out the exodus from Egypt, I  feel regret at having grown up without so many of the holidays and concepts that give a Jew his identity and make a Jewish childhood so special and exciting.

But I have come to understand that even within my assimilated environment, God was always communicating with me. He may have used some unusual messengers, but I was receiving meaningful messages nevertheless.

Pollyanna’s Glad Game was my first introduction to emuna (faith), which puts so much emphasis on gratitude and exhorts us repeatedly never to despair.

How many times in our lives have things turned out fine despite all our fears and worries? How many times has God stepped in and helped us with things big and small? Focusing on His greatness is paramount to a positive attitude in life. I witnessed this again just yesterday.

I was in the hospital with my daughter Sara, who had just had surgery on her broken foot. All day long we played the “Glad Game”. We expressed gratitude for the clean hospital, the wonderful surgeon, the efficiency of the staff, the great painkillers, etc. etc. I did it to keep our spirits up and I did it because it is the right thing to do and I did it because it’s the truth. Acknowledge every miracle, recognize every kindness. Everything is a gift and we are surrounded by God’s love at every moment.

As we left the hospital, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten my phone in her room. My son in law, Yoni, raced back to the elevator and up to the third floor to retrieve it. After wheeling my daughter into the lobby, I hopped on a later elevator to follow him. When the doors opened I saw Yoni wearing surgical gloves and going through a huge pile of hospital linen searching for my phone. I stood there gaping. Suddenly, he held it up with a big smile.  He and the relieved cleaning lady quickly stuffed the sheets back into the big plastic bag and she headed down to the hospital laundry. Yoni had caught her just in time!

Like most people today, I really like my phone. It’s got all my important numbers, photos of the kids, access to my e-mails, etc. Plus it was an expensive gift from my husband.  I would have hated to lose it. And I would have felt so annoyed with myself. I guess I would have had to play the Glad Game.

But God saved me from all that. He saved me in the nick of time. It was one more reason to be grateful on this long day at the hospital.

God takes us along the path we truly desire. If we really wish to be positive about our circumstances and grateful for His kindnesses, God will give us the opportunities we seek.

And aren’t you glad about that?