On Thankgsiving and Thankfulness

It's that time of year again! We are well into the month of THANKS, the month where we start seeing the thankful posts of our friends, popping up everywhere on social media. It truly warms my heart when I read other people's thankful posts and I imagine that's what happens when they read mine (assuming they actually read what I have to say each night). What saddens me, is that once December 1 rolls around, the posts stop. If there is anything I've learned throughout my own thankful journey, is that the idea of being thankful should NOT be isolated to just one day (Thanksgiving) or one month (November) each year, but rather, it should be celebrated EVERY SINGLE DAY.

The older I get, the more I stand behind this idea. Mother's Day: why not celebrate your mom EVERY SINGLE DAY? Father's Day: ditto! Honor them EVERY SINGLE DAY! Valentine's Day: my goodness, shower those you love EVERY SINGLE DAY with acts of love and kindness! 

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday (followed extremely closely by Christmas) since I was a little girl. I remember waking up on Thanksgiving morning to the smell of dinner being prepared by my mom. The smell of turkey wafting through the house, mom's mouthwatering orange juice sweet potatoes, the rich aroma of green bean casserole......just thinking about it takes me right back to being a child at 405 White Street!!! I remember getting excited for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, especially the Snoopy balloon AND of course, Santa at the end!!! I remember waiting patiently for my grandparents to come to our house for the meal (and my Grandma Marilyn bringing the delicious filling and Grandma LaRue bringing the pies and pumpkin rolls!!!). Family all around the table together....giving thanks and feeling extremely blessed!

This year, Thanksgiving will be a bit different. Grandma LaRue won't be at the Thanksgiving table. There will be no GOBBLE til ya WOBBLE texts from Billy. It will be a bit different BUT one thing is for certain, we will still give thanks for all we do have and for the time we had with those we loved. I'm using Thanksgiving as a holiday of refocus this year. While we suffered some losses, we truly still have a lot to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving has always been, and will always remain, my favorite holiday. This year, I am putting out this challenge to anyone who reads this blog posting......let Thanksgiving be more than just one day. Keep your gratitude list going in the days, weeks, months, and even year ahead. By focusing on what you are thankful for, you will find even more blessings coming your way. Trust me! Expressing heartfelt gratitude each day, is one of life's greatest joys! I find myself smiling as I finish my nightly thankful posts, just being overjoyed at the blessings I have in my life, even when, at times, it doesn't feel as though I have much to be thankful for! Gratitude is the true heart of Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Day 28 of the Think Thankfully 30 Day Challenge - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!!! Today is the day! The fourth Thursday in November is one of my favorite days!!!! I absolutely love love LOVE the Thanksgiving holiday! I love the memories I have of Thanksgiving as a child. I love the smell of my parents' house on this particular day! I love that we sit down as an entire family, all around one big table (except the table for the kids, they get their own table!) and give thanks on one special day reserved specifically for the act of practicing gratitude, although I wish we were in the habit of practicing it more than just this one day/month a year. The day when the country all tends to issue the Happy Thanksgiving message to one another (unless you see fit to tell people to "gobble til ya wobble") You see, I am a firm believer in the idea that practicing gratitude is a powerful force that can transform your entire life if you let it and it shouldn't be reserved for just one month a year.

Start practicing gratitude each and every day. Start with a simple little thank you. Look for reasons to thank those important people in your life each day. Challenge yourself to say it at least once a day to someone who does something to make your day happier, your job easier, for the kind gesture, anything. In doing so, you will begin to shift your daily focus to the good, and in return you are looking for good things all day long and when you do that, you often start finding them and practicing gratitude becomes easier and easier. Before you know it, it becomes part of your natural routine. It becomes common for you. It no longer takes effort. 

Today, challenge yourself to begin practicing gratitude each day until next Thanksgiving. Let's see just how wonderfully your life can change simply by practicing gratitude. Gratitude opens our heart and mind and in that simple act of gratitude, you are opening yourself up for a miracle because miracles can happen. What miracle await you in the coming year? Don't stop now.....practice makes perfect!!! By accepting this challenge, you will see that Thanksgiving doesn't just happen one day a year, it happens 365 days! In my world, it does. 

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.....be thankful! Think Thankfully!!!!