When I first started to really understand the power of gratitude, I felt overwhelmed by feelings of indebtedness, until I realized that the first act of receiving a gift is to accept it. There is no need, however compelling it may seem, to reciprocate any act of generosity or sacrifice. But, by not acknowledging the gift in some way you upset the flow of abundance which accompanies the gift. Just as a river, when blocked, collects the continuous flow of water in a reservoir, any gratitude you hold back lies dormant and relatively wasted until an eventual breakthrough releases the energy.