Thanksgiving has kind of a bad rap these days. You’ve probably heard by now that Christopher Columbus wasn’t such a nice guy, and the Thanksgiving feast may not have been as friendly as we once thought. But thankfully, Thanksgiving stays on as an American holiday celebrated by many families across the U.S. While I do love the turkey and mashed potatoes, and the pumpkin pie is fabulous, Thanksgiving is a great holiday because it focuses on BEING GRATEFUL.
You see, being grateful creates a connection and a bond to the world and people around us. To be grateful, it requires you to stop, take a breath, and soak it all in. It requires an awareness of the good things in the world rather than a spotlight on the bad.
In our microculture here on the Eastside, we tend to celebrate the busy and achievement-oriented lifestyle. When we see each other in the store, we ask “how are you?”. The answer is often “busy”, “tired”, “fine”. You likely wouldn’t say “Fantastic because my kids are healthy, my workout was on fire, and my friends are supportive”. Sadly, most of us are too busy and tired to be grateful.
So this Thanksgiving season, be conspicuous about your gratefulness. Be a role model for your kids. Let your kids know that you are grateful to be their parent, you are grateful to be alive, you are grateful to have food and housing. Tell your friends that you are grateful to have met them, for their support, for your outings together. Tell the cashier that you are grateful that they checked you out so fast and did a great job bagging the groceries. Unleash the gratefulness!
My challenge for you is to try out this grateful thing for more than just one meal. I challenge you to finish off this decade strong by being grateful for something, no matter how small, each and every remaining day of 2019. Your heart, your brain, and your family will thank you for this.
With Heart,
Coach Sheri
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