We’re all thankful for air conditioning, indoor plumbing, and cell phones – these are good things. However, this Thanksgiving I’d like us to focus on being thankful for the free things in life like quality time spent with a friend. When it comes down to it, they’re the most important things.
I’d like to challenge you to practice gratitude by making a gratitude list of things that don’t cost money. This list of things can be shared with loved ones (maybe over Thanksgiving dinner) or kept private.
No matter how you intend to use the list, it’s a great way to begin the holiday season- perfect for this time of year and I promise you won’t regret making it.
Here are some things to be thankful for to help you get started on your gratitude list.
FRIENDS
Good friends are a treat. Best friends are a treasure. When you find a true friend, never let them go.
Be grateful for:
- Best friends to share your deepest secrets with
- Laughing with a friend until your belly hurts
- The acceptance of a true friend
- The shoulder of a good friend to cry on when you can’t hold back the tears
- The friend who’s truly happy for you when you succeed
- A friend who speaks kindly about you when you’re not around
- The friend who’s as weird, funny and as silly as you are
FAMILY
I hope you love your family beyond measure.
Remember to be grateful for:
- Your spouse – the one you chose to grow old with.
- Your children – the most wonderful gift there is
- Your parents – the ones who gave you life. They’ve adored you since the day you were born and will continue to do so until they leave this earth. I can guarantee they’re your biggest fans. They’re proud of you.
- Your grandparents – if you’re blessed enough to still have grandparents, thank them – hug them, love them. They too have loved you like crazy since the day you were born.
- Your siblings – they taught you how to get along in this world. You share a special bond. They may have smacked you on the head but they’d never let anyone else touch you.
- Your Home – not your house but your home. The setting that offers the place of your belonging.
- Your extended family – cousins, aunts, uncles, half-sisters and step-brothers
- Best of all grandchildren – A true gift from God. There’s nothing like hearing baby giggles from your grandchild.
Even more, be thankful for:
- The touch of a loved one
- The love your family has for you
- Your heritage – your people and where you came from
- The lessons that being a family member taught you
- The morals your family bestowed upon you
- Family traditions
If your family relationships are strained and not what you want them to be, there’s always a chance for reconciliation. Never give up hope.
THE Little THINGS
Don’t discount the little things in life. They add up over time and eventually become the big things.
Small things gratitude list:
- The sun on your face
- The wind in your hair
- Your favorite song on the radio
- A smile in a room of strangers
- When your dog greets you at the door
- The smell of coffee
- Naps
- Sitting on the front porch
- The innocence of a child
- The tapping of rain on the window
- A cozy fire in the winter
- An unexpected complement
- A back rub
PETS
The love of a pet is unconditional. Wouldn’t it be great if we loved each other the way our pets love us?
We’re thankful for our pets because of their:
Unconditional Love
Loyalty
They’re great company when we’re lonely
They’re so cuddly
Pets provide security
They’re just so cute
GOOD HEALTH
It’s easy to forget your health until you lose it. Then it becomes everything. It’s truly something to work for on a daily basis and one of the most important things in life.
Good health gratitude list:
- Thankful for overall health physically and mentally
- Vision – the ability to see
- Hear – being able to hear laughter, language and music
- Feel – the ability to feel the touch of another human being
- Smell – being able to smell your favorite foods, flowers, fresh air
- Taste – the ability to taste
- Thankful for being able to walk and run
- Healthy skin
- Thankful for healing
- Thankful for medicine and cures
- For the ability to exercise
Freedom
- Religion – the freedom of worshipping God freely. You may feel differently than I do about God but I think we can agree that the freedom to openly choose our religion and worship the way we see fit is a beautiful thing.
- Freedom of speech – the freedom to speak our mind and relay our convictions openly
- Freedom to vote
- Freedom to receive an education
JOB
Your job provides your paycheck but it also gives you stability, peace of mind, and a purpose for your life.
YOUR GIFTS
Each and every one of us has been given a gift. Yours may be the gift of drawing, singing, writing, or making people laugh. Whatever the gift, remember to be thankful for it, and even more be sure to share the gift with others.
NATURE
The beauty of nature never ceases to amaze me.
In 2017 Nashville was lucky enough to have the perfect view of a full solar eclipse. I’ve never seen anything like it. These photos don’t do it justice.
They were taken approximately 5 minutes apart, in my driveway. In a matter of minutes, we were taken from a gorgeous and bright August day to total darkness and eventually back to a sunny day again. It was one of the most intriguing, amazing things I’ve ever witnessed. The roosters were even crowing when the light began to appear- what a day. I am so thankful I was there to see it.
- The glow of the moon
- Sunrise
- Sunset
- The seasons
- A field of crops and the way the rows are perfectly symmetrical
- The color of leaves and the way they fall in the Autumn
- The ocean
- The mountains
- Clean Air
- Clean Water
- The grass to run your bare feet through
- Birds
- Flowers
- The rain
- The miracle and beauty of snow
Rainbows – This photo is taken from my front porch. It overlooks a barn across the road and two times we’ve been blessed with this gorgeous view – no filters and no photoshop – isn’t it amazing? Talk about something to be thankful for!
OTHER THINGS TO BE THANKFUL FOR
- Trust
- Music
- Hope
- Dance
- Purpose
- This past year and the lessons you learned. If the year was unbearable, you can be grateful that it’s almost over and will be referred to as “last year” very soon
- Faith
- Getting through the hard times
- Love
- The weekend
- The memory of a good time
THAT MOMENT WHEN
- You realize you’re in love
- You get the yes you weren’t sure you’d get
- You make the team
- The light bulb goes on
- You get the job
- You slip into bed after a long day
- You win
- You settle into a good book
- You learned something new – something you didn’t think you’d grasp
- You finally let go
I’d love to hear your thoughts on making a gratitude list. Do you have items to add?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Until Next Time-
Cherie
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Disclosure
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I am so thankful to have you as my daughter. You are as the rainbow we saw that day that you captured in the picture. I love you beyond measure Cherie Michelle Arrowood Drennan. Blessings, Mom!