The Narrative Arc

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THE NARRATIVE ARC

How Gratitude Germinates and Blossoms Like the Earth in Spring

My decision to leave a relationship sparked my rebirth

Sally Prag
The Narrative Arc
Published in
8 min readMar 21, 2025

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A tree in blossom during early spring, with bare trees and blue sky in the background.
Photo by the author.

I’m sure it’s no coincidence that the day chosen to be International Day of Happiness, marked in March each year, falls around the same time as the spring equinox – a time when we feel a sense of energy and joy return to life.

My first knowledge of this annual occasion was when I became acutely aware that gratitude and happiness are deeply intertwined. At the time, I was bereft of both. My life so far had been an endless journey to find happiness, yet I didn’t even know what I was looking for. I didn’t understand what happiness — true happiness — was.

But it would take me hitting one of the lowest points in my life to start to grasp what it really meant. And I would soon discover the art and healing power of gratitude amid the abundance of spring energy, and find a transformation I never quite anticipated.

It was March, 2015.

The month had begun with a moment when fear of my then-partner overcame me so intensely that I ran away from him. Actually, I drove away, and he chased.

For years already, I’d dealt with the consequences of his temper, his unfounded conviction…

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The Narrative Arc
The Narrative Arc

Published in The Narrative Arc

Medium’s best creative nonfiction — memoirs and personal essays. Eclectic, nuanced, entertaining. Follow us, or join our writers’ collective.

Sally Prag
Sally Prag

Written by Sally Prag

I write creative nonfiction essays and poetry. Rethinking life through my words. Sometimes too seriously, sometimes not seriously enough.

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