(Photo by Savannah Lawrence)
How-To: 30 Days of Being Thankful
By Maxine O’Loane
Happy November y’all!
Halloween is over and now it’s time for a different kind of celebration. It’s filled with treats, sweets, pie, and a whole lot of bluffing just to get the last of mom’s famous stuffing. That’s right! Thanksgiving! Which, as we all know,isn’t only about the incredible secret family recipes and perfectly cooked turkey–– it’s about taking the time to step back and realize what you’re thankful for. I know with everything I’ve got going on with my hectic schedule, I spend more time stressing out about what I have to do that I forget to be thankful for what I have, too! So, to help us all get that daily reminder, I’m going to list some things we should take a quick minute to be thankful for. These are just general topics, so feel free to add details to make it more personal to you and your life.
- Family
- Parents/Parent-like role models (yes, they get their own topic)
- Children/Siblings/Grandkids
- Spouse/Significant others (dating, married, etc.…)
- Friends… our built-in support system
- School/jobRoof over your head
- Clothes (no matter how extensive or minimal your wardrobe)
- Sweats & oversized hoodies (can’t be just me)
- Food in general
- Ice cream and frozen yogurt
- Good health
- Family traditions
- Family recipes
- Your favorite candle(s)
- Pets
- Vacations (or staycations for those little weekend getaways)
- That playlist full of songs to give you that extra boost of energy to finish up the day
- FaceTime (to keep in touch with loved ones a little out of reaching distance)
- Your favorite book
- Fall…need I say more?
- Sunsets and sunrises
- A mind filled with thoughts & ideas only you can possess
- Knowing how to cook… or having a friend that does
- Being able to travel, whether it’s across the world, country or the freeway
- Movies
- Love (romantic, friendship, or family)
- Music (all genres)
- Nature (flowers, plants, trees, etc…)
- Coworkers/peers (especially those special individuals who help make getting through the day just a little easier)
- God!
It may seem odd to put God last, right? Now, just because he’s number 30 doesn’t mean He’s the last priority,––he’s just the opposite. In fact, I put Him down here because this is probably the last thing you’re going to read on this article. Which means it’ll stick in your mind a little longer than everything else you just read. So, I put Him here to remind you that HE is the reason why you have all those other things to be grateful for. Don’t be so quick to forget that He gave each of those to you and MORE! I wanted to close this list out with the reminder that we should be grateful to God for everything, whether it be something small like finding enough spare change to get that smoothie you’ve been craving because you forgot your wallet at home or for having a roof over your head. We need to be thankful for those things, and let’s try make this gratefulness last more than the 30 days I have on here, okay? But let’s try to do it EVERYDAY. Whenever something comes to mind, take a quick second to acknowledge it and be thankful. I’m going to try my best to count my blessings this Thanksgiving and I hope you do, too!
