Every night before we eat dinner, we hold hands and share something we are thankful for from our day. There are no rules, except we can’t be grateful for material things. Mostly the boys are thankful for doing well on a test or having a day off from school. Mac Daddy and I work a lot, so we are often grateful for safe travels and being home. We don’t need a national holiday to give thanks.
This is perhaps my favorite thing I’ve seen about gratitude:
“It’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received.”
“We recognize that the sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves. We acknowledge that other people — or even higher powers, if you’re of a spiritual mindset—gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.”
I have no paucity of things to be grateful for. Mostly, I’m grateful for the lot of you, who make me think, laugh, stretch, and wonder. As I tell my sons, what we give back is commensurate with what we take for granted. It’s akin to doing something with our privilege.
Thank you, friends, for using your voices, lifting up others, and building community.
Sending special gratitude to all those working today – first responders, law enforcement, nurses, doctors, airline employees, and the like. I hope you get a chance to feast and relax. You deserve it.
Happy Thanksgiving!