Thanskgiving: More Than Just a Set Number of Reasons to Be Thankful

What are you most thankful for?

If you spend enough time on Facebook, you’ve seen the daily posts about what people are thankful for.  They have one reason for each day leading up to Thanksgiving.  It’s always the usual stuff, and spoiler alert – this post is going to touch on that.

As we move into the final days before Thanksgiving, which as of today, is four days and counting, we remind ourselves of why we are thankful for what we have.  While this is nice, it should never take the month of November to remind us of what we are thankful for, when we have a whole year to remind us of the fact.  Every day should be looked at as a gift, not just the days between November 1st and the day of Thanksgiving.  Maybe it’s just that we have hectic lives that prevent us from daily reflection, but shouldn’t we at least be aware of what we are thankful for on most days, if it’s not possible to be thankful on all days?

We should always be thankful for what we have now, and not reflect on what we had (but lost/no longer have) or what we will have (but don’t have yet).

Not in a relationship anymore?  Be thankful that you experienced knowing that other half, and the lessons you learned if the relationship ended unwillingly.

Healthy?  Be thankful for that, and knowing what it has taken to get to that point.  I’ve lost 26 pounds since last year through hard work – I’m thankful for such a huge accomplishment, and pictures only serve to remind me of what I never want to look like again.  Not healthy?  Don’t dwell on it, do something about it.  Need to lose weight?  Work on it!  Unhappy with a current situation?  Be thankful there are ways to change the situation!

Be thankful for natural support systems, and for having the power to battle through any problem.  Not every battle is so easy or cut-and-dry.  I discussed in a post last week about my friend, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.  I remind myself that while she has a battle to fight, she will fight, and she will win.  I know she can do it.  And I’m thankful to have her in my life so I can tell her that (and that’s she in my life so she can know that).

Be thankful for all the little things in life.  The little things make life so much more fulfilling and happy.  Rain to water our yards, sun to warm the day (well, not like it helps this time of the year), music we want to hear (accompanied by songs  we’ll complain about – why not have a perfect balance?), people we want to speak to (heck, even the people we don’t want to speak to), a hug, a smile.  Anything that is small in size but big in thought and comes with warm intention is special.

Be thankful for having known someone who is no longer with you.  A family member or friend who passes away is always by your side, even if they aren’t physically with you.  They’ll always hold the same place in your heart, no matter what.

Be thankful for your life, no matter what. Opening your eyes each morning puts you at an advantage…you are experiencing another day.  Regardless of it being good or bad, you’ll know what you need to do to change it for the better or best.

Be thankful for your abilities and talents.  I’m thankful for my gift of being able to write – not just that I own something with which to write, but the talent to do so.  Not everyone is able to,  and while I do envy those with athletic abilities (always have), I’m thankful to have a way with words…grouped together into sentences, grouped into paragraphs, filling whole pages, filling a blog post, published for the world to see…

Be thankful for your family.  They love you unconditionally, and while you may not always admit to liking them, you still love them.  Pets fit into this category, because we treat them like family, and they love us unconditionally too!

Be thankful for friends.  They’re the family you chose for yourself, the ones who understand you like your family (ok, fine, mine understand me better than family, lol).  A good friend will never judge you, and when they need you most, will want you to do nothing more than listen.

You never need a reason to be thankful for what what makes your life what it is.  Live in the present, reflect but don’t dwell on the past, and remind yourself that being thankful is a 365 days a year commitment (366 if it’s a Leap Year), not just the days of November leading up to Thanksgiving.

Just knowing you have 365/366 days a year is reason to be thankful enough.  🙂