Don't Forget the Gratitude

The topic of discussion the other day was how Thanksgiving, November, and gratitude are often ignored like a middle child. As a middle child myself I could relate. Stuck between the sparkly older sibling of Christmas and the sweet younger sibling of Halloween it is often overlooked. When I went through my growing-up photos there were lots from Christmas, Halloween, and even Easter but very few from Thanksgiving. One from the seventies, there are no photos from the eighties and not even one from when I hosted my first Thanksgiving in my first apartment in 1991.

Thanksgiving 1976

Gratitude is for Everyday

My friend and sister-in-law, GR8TFUL CHICK, Larissa is all about the importance of gratitude. She focuses on being grateful every day of every month regardless of her life situation. I am trying to practice it too, even though some days are harder than others. I stop at the end of each day and think of three things I am grateful for, and then I remember them again when I wake up the next morning.

my mother and my daughters

my sister, my mom and beach vacations

my cat

I have many big things to be grateful for: my daughters, my sisters, and time spent with my mom, especially at the beach. My cat makes me smile daily, I have a warm place to live and food to eat. Looking for the small things to be grateful for each day can change the way you think. The person who let me pull out in traffic when I was running late, the store had all the items on my list (and I remembered my list!).

Join me for 24 days of Gratitude

This holiday season I expect will be hard as it is the first since my mother has passed. I have decided that I am going to focus on being grateful for all I have and not what I am missing. As I count down to Christmas I will take a picture every day of something I am grateful for. I have done this before. One year for 30 days in November when you would expect it and once for 100 days in the spring and summer. I hope that doing this as we enter the busy holiday season will help me focus on what I have rather than what I want or what I am missing.

Of course, all these photos will be saved to my FOREVER account as my phone is automatically backed up. Something I am always grateful for is knowing my memories are preserved and safe. There will likely be a digital art project at the end of the 24 days so be sure to check back.

I will post my pictures on my Facebook page (FIND IT HERE) and invite you to follow my progress or better yet - Join me!