Never seasonal or cliché...
When the kids were young, we talked a lot about having a “thankful heart” but it usually centered around being content with not getting EVERYTHING they wanted or doing your chores without complaining. They learned early on the importance of having an "attitude of gratitude." And during the third week of November, we always start talking about what we’re thankful for. The social media posts start popping up with pictures of family and your inbox starts to fill with subject lines reading “We’re thankful for…!” It feels very cliché. But the truth is, I hope being thankful is never seasonal, nor cliché—
Every time I take the stairs two at a time, I’m thankful: for my health. I was incredibly sick during the spring of 2020 and I could barely make it up and down the steps. To rush up a flight of steps is a reminder of how far I've come and how healthy I am now.
Every time I drive to the airport to pick up my husband, I’m thankful: for safe travels and the miracle of flying long distances in a few short hours.
When I look at my kids, I’m thankful to be a mom. So many couples struggle with infertility.
And when the five of us are under one roof, I’m grateful to be part of a family. Even better, when my brother and his family drive down from Boston through crazy northeast traffic, I’m grateful for extended family and their sacrifice of sanity. I recently read a Nextdoor post about someone who grew up in numerous foster homes and didn’t have anyone to celebrate the holidays with once he was an adult. My heart ached for him.
And when I hug my parents, I’m grateful they moved to Virginia years ago to be near us, and we can worship together every Sunday. And I’m thankful they are both in very good health.
I’m able to buy groceries, pay my mortgage, pay bills and provide an education for my children. Things I hope I never take for granted—there’s many people that struggle to provide the merest of daily necessities.
And as cliché as this may sound, I’m humbled to have found a profession I enjoy and a way to use my unique gifts and talents to serve others. I’m incredibly grateful for my clients—and may that never move beyond a genuine heart-felt "attitude of gratitude" to become a seasonal emotion!