Gratitude is an Attitude

Thanksgiving has traditionally been a day to celebrate all the things for which we are grateful. One day, out of three hundred sixty-five days in a year, when many families sit around their dining room tables, hold hands and tell, one at a time, what they’re grateful for. Which is great but. . . .

What about the other three hundred sixty-four days? We’re all busy living our lives; we can easily get so caught up in work, writing and/or other responsibilities that we take things and people for granted. We forget to stop to appreciate all that we have and to be thankful for our many blessings. We need to remember that each day is a gift, a present. 

Do we get up in the morning, thankful to be alive? Are we determined to make the most of each day or do we slog through life, bitter and complaining? Do we notice all the little things that go wrong in our day or do we focus on the ones that go right? 

There’s so much beauty in the world. Do we take time to appreciate and enjoy nature? Do we tell the important people in our lives how much they mean to us? Do we stop to give thanks (and credit) to others who encourage and support us? 

I think of gratitude as an attitude we should strive to possess and express every day, not just on Thanksgiving. In our complicated world, often, the simplest words can have the greatest meaning. The following lines, from a poem I learned as a child, sum it up. “Thank you for the world so sweet. Thank you for the food we eat. Thank you for the birds that sing. Thank you, God, for everything.”

A peaceful Thanksgiving

Most of us want Thanksgiving to be a happy, peaceful time when we gather together with the people we love to give thanks for our many blessings.  But family dynamics can sometimes get in the way of that - if we let them.

In Secrets in Storyville, when Kate's daughter, Mandy, announces her plan to do a family tree for a school project, Kate's parents and grandmother are against it. Kate doesn't understand why - but she's determined to find out. However, in order to have a peaceful Thanksgiving with her family, she decides to let them think she and Mandy have agreed to drop the project. Whatever it takes to keep the peace.

Here’s an excerpt from the book:

Dad patted his stomach. “Gloria, you’ve outdone yourself this year. Everything was delicious, as always.” He raised his eyebrows. “But there was something different about your stuffing.”

“I added mushrooms this year.”

He reached across the table and patted her hand. “Well, it was the best I’ve ever tasted.”

My mother actually blushed. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She stood up. “Is anyone ready for pumpkin pie?”

We all shook our heads.

I laughed. “I’d love some but it’ll have to wait till later. If I have another bite, I won’t be able to get out of this chair. Thanks, Mom.”

One by one, we all pushed back our chairs and stood up. Dad, Gram and Mandy headed for the living room to watch TV. Mom and I cleared the dining room table, carrying the leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and cranberry into the kitchen.

It felt good to have things back to normal. Although I hated deceiving my parents, I was glad I’d decided to do it. I shuddered to think what Thanksgiving would’ve been like if they knew the truth about Mandy’s project.

“I’ll wrap up some of everything for you to take home,” Mom said. “That way, you won’t have to cook dinner tomorrow. How early do you have to be at work in the morning?”

I sighed. “Five o’clock. It keeps getting earlier every year. I’d like to shoot whoever invented Black Friday.”

“Well, it’ll be over before you know it. At least it’s only once a year.”

Easy for you to say, I thought. You’ll be snuggled up in your warm bed. But, of course, I didn’t say that. Instead, I asked her, “Do you want to wash or dry?”

I hope everyone has a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving!

Gratitude

 

Thanksgiving has traditionally been a day to celebrate all the things for which we are grateful. One day, out of three hundred sixty-five days in a year, when many families sit around their dining room tables, hold hands and tell, one at a time, what they’re grateful for. Which is great but. . . .

What about the other three hundred sixty-four days? We’re all busy living our lives; we can easily get so caught up in work, writing and/or other responsibilities that we take things and people for granted. We forget to stop to appreciate all that we have and to be thankful for our many blessings. We need to remember that each day is a gift, a present. 

Do we get up in the morning, thankful to be alive? Are we determined to make the most of each day or do we slog through life, bitter and complaining? Do we notice all the little things that go wrong in our day or do we focus on the ones that go right? 

There’s so much beauty in the world. Do we take time to appreciate and enjoy nature? Do we tell the important people in our lives how much they mean to us? Do we stop to give thanks (and credit) to others who encourage and support us? 

I think of gratitude as an attitude we should strive to possess and express every day, not just on Thanksgiving. In our complicated world, often, the simplest words can have the greatest meaning. The following lines, from a poem I learned as a child, sum it up. “Thank you for the world so sweet. Thank you for the food we eat. Thank you for the birds that sing. Thank you, God, for everything.”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gratitude

The first American Thanksgiving took place in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621, when the pilgrims, thankful for their bountiful harvest in the new land and their Indian friends, gathered together to praise God and to express their gratitude. Since then, Thanksgiving has traditionally been a day to celebrate all the things for which we are grateful. One day, out of three hundred sixty-five days in a year, when many families sit around their dining room tables, hold hands and tell, one at a time, what they’re grateful for. Which is wonderful but. . . .

What about the other three hundred sixty-four days? We’re all busy living our lives; we can easily get so caught up in work, writing and/or other responsibilities that we take things and people for granted. We forget to stop to appreciate all that we have and to be thankful for our many blessings. We need to remember that each day is a gift, a present.  

Do we get up in the morning, thankful to be alive? Are we determined to make the most of each day or do we slog through life, bitter and complaining? Do we notice all the little things that go wrong in our day or do we focus on the ones that go right? There’s so much beauty in the world. Do we take time to appreciate and enjoy nature? Do we tell the important people in our lives how much they mean to us? Do we stop to give thanks (and credit) to others who encourage and support us?

I think of gratitude as an attitude we should strive to possess and express every day, not just on Thanksgiving. In our complicated world, often, the simplest words can have the greatest meaning. The following lines, from a poem I learned as a child, sum it up. “Thank you for the world so sweet. Thank you for the food we eat. Thank you for the birds that sing. Thank you, God, for everything.”

Happy Thanksgiving!