What Are You Grateful For?

This time of year, we have many things to be grateful for.We are grateful for our family and friends, our homes and our communities. We are grateful for the delicious foods we are going to prepare and share with loved ones, and for the resources we have, in order to be able to do so. We are grateful for the opportunity to meet up again with the people we so sorely missed, during the height of the pandemic. We are grateful for our health and our jobs, our passions and our hobbies. There are countless things to be grateful for, each and everyday, and yet, once the holiday passes and we get back to business as usual, we often forget to give thanks. Giving thanks is an act of self-love, and a way to ensure that we are mindful of the daily blessings we have in our lives. We tend to get caught up in all the stuff that is wrong or just not going well, and we lose sight of the bigger picture – the one that reminds us that little things really do count! The small niceties we each experience, and the things we too often take for granted, are the very things that make our lives so rich and full of joy. When times get rough, as they invariably will, it may seem contradictory to think about and reflect on all that we are grateful for. Yet, this very act is what brings to light the goodness in our lives, and helps us to focus on the positives and remain hopeful for the future. Remembering to not only make note of our blessings, but to verbalize them to others, and to spread kindness and loving care, daily, is what keeps gratitude front and center in our minds, in our hearts and in our world. The practice of gratitude is a special and sacred one. It can be short and simple or more involved. However we choose to engage, expressing thanks yields greater appreciation for what we do have, and gives deeper meaning to our lives and the people, things and opportunities we are so blessed with!