Gratitude – the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.
Most Americans think about gratitude during the month of November. This makes perfect sense as this is the month that we celebrate Thanksgiving. How many of you have Facebook friends that run a month of daily gratitudes during November? I do. My Facebook feed is full of thankful thoughts all during that month. It’s nice. But I am a person that thinks of gratitude on a daily basis.
Why? Because it keeps me grounded and happy. It is so easy to get caught up in all that we don’t have when you turn on the TV or look at Pinterest. Seriously, I have to limit my viewing of HGTV because I love the home improvement shows. I am generally happy with my kitchen. But after watching some of those show, it feels that my kitchen should be getting a date with a sledgehammer. As much as I want a new kitchen, it is not in our budget. Nope, I am not getting one. And that is ok. Right now there are amazing aromas wafting out of our kitchen as my husband has been cooking all day. Our kitchen is the setting for many incredible family meals, and in that sense it is perfect!But I digress. For me taking a moment to look at all that I do have and taking a moment of feeling genuine gratitude keeps me positive and happy. Simply, taking the time to be thankful gives me a warm fuzzy feeling and makes me smile.
Write a Gratitude List to Feel Thankful
So what am I thankful for? So much really, but here is my short list:
1. My health. While I have spent a year dealing with a bum hip/back, I am healthy. For that I am forever thankful. It is when things go wrong with our bodies that we suddenly realize how much we take for granted. All thing considering – I’m in a good spot.
2. For my parents. I know how lucky I am that at my age I have both my mom and dad. They brought me into this world, raised me; and as I became an adult, we became great friends. They are always there when I need them. They bring love into my children’s lives – they are the best!
3. For my children. They are my pride and joy, my heartache and worry. They bring me laughter and tears – they bring out the best and the worst of me. Yes, there are days that I stink at being a parent.
4. For my husband. He is my friend and my lover. He makes me laugh like no other person. He is my biggest cheerleader and protector. He makes me feel safe – yes, he even sleeps closest to the bedroom door for me. He gets me.
5. My Friends. They have stood by my side through thick and thin. They, too, make me laugh and have seen me through my tearful times. They have always been there for me. They accept me for who I am. They listen and care.
6. My home. We have built a beautiful (though HGTV sometimes has me thinking otherwise) sanctuary for our family. Our home is beautiful, though often messy. It is filled with laughter, kids, dogs, a cat, and general chaos. Dinner is shared at the family table most every night. It is our haven.
So that is my short list that I run through most days. The top five have nothing to do with possessions, and that in itself keeps me grounded in our ever increasing world of commercialism. When it comes down to it, what brings me happiness is not things, it is being with people that I love and having the good health needed to enjoy them.
What are you feeling thankful for today?
