Staff Woman Documents Gratitude Around the World
Sammi Armacost, 25, spent her first summer at Ogichi 10 years ago and has since become an integral and beloved member of the camp community. Sammi has led trips down the English, Allan Water, Bloodvein and Churchill rivers. In 2017, she paddled 750 miles to the Arctic Ocean with five fellow Ogichi women.
This year, Sammi has been on a different kind of adventure. Inspired by her experiences at camp, she has collected and shared words of gratitude from hundreds of people all over the world.
Tom Deupree sat relaxed on the camp golf cart, arms-crossed, looking off into the distance, with that mischievous twinkle that never left his eye. He answered my question without skipping a beat.
“I’m grateful for the help that I got from Alice Peacock this morning. She set up my monitor that I just received from Dell. The box is way too big for me to handle. She unplugs it, she plugs it, she reads the instructions, I sit back and smile that Alice came to my help right away—and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Sammi speaks with a group of campers. (Liz Hattemer)
In response to a question that could have left anyone a little lost for words, Tom zeroed in on a moment of gratitude effortlessly. It was that effortless expression of gratitude—which Tom and so many leaders at Ogichi exemplify—that inspired me to take a concept I learned as a camper and bring it to life as an adult.
On the first day of this year, I started a video series on Instagram and decided to update it every day. At the time, I had just moved to Japan by myself and was grappling with the many directions my heart was pulling me. I was searching for some semblance of purpose: How was I going to make the trip worthwhile? What exactly was I doing with my life anyway?
I was getting overwhelmed, comparing myself to all the people around me who seemed so secure—social media provided a generous source of material to assume as much—until something clicked. Why not contribute something honest instead?
“I was getting overwhelmed, comparing myself to all the people around me who seemed so secure—until something clicked. Why not contribute something honest instead? ”
This is where the motivation to commit to “365 Days of Gratitude” came from. Each day, I look for a new person to answer the question: “Today, what do you feel grateful for?”
I encourage each person to reflect on the 24 hours leading up to the moment of our encounter and to be specific when they respond. A day can be stressful or mundane; a person can be heartbroken or indifferent. My hope is that they will sift out the nuggets of good that shine because, together, we took the time to look.
Sammi hugs a friend before departing on a canoe trip. (Liz Hattemer)
While the motivation for this project may have come from within, the inspiration came from a trip tradition I was introduced to as a 15-year-old, during my first summer at Ogichi. Rain or shine, we would end each night with a Grateful Circle, a time for everyone in the group to answer the same question that I ask in my videos.
Over the years, I have led many trips and participated in many Grateful Circles. Of course, we’re all grateful for sunshine, delicious dinners, and no bugs. But what always surprises me is the range of responses that people share, despite all being in the same place, doing relatively the same thing.
These answers remind me, both then and now, that there is always something unique to draw out from each day—something redemptive, something heartfelt. Something as simple as receiving help setting up a computer.
“These answers remind me, both then and now, that there is always something unique to draw out from each day—something redemptive, something heartfelt.”
It took me almost 10 years to take the lesson of gratitude and make it my own. Not just on the days when I’m out on a trip, but on all the days in between. The days when I don’t have the Ogichi community to cultivate that mindset for me, but ultimately the days when I need it the most.
No day is perfect, but no day needs to be. Whatever comes, I am learning to sit back and smile like Tom said he did—learning to see it all with a twinkle in my eye.
Follow @allcapsbcthatshowifeel on Instagram to see Sammi’s 365 Days of Gratitude project in action.