When I sit down to make my Thanksgiving list what do I put down? \u00a0‘Friends’ and ‘family’ (most of them!) are at the top of my list. Then perhaps ‘health’, ‘freedom’…<\/p>\n
Do I ever express thanks for ‘bad health’, ‘gloomy days’, ‘stress’, ‘conflict’? They wouldn’t be near the top of the list, if they were on it at all.<\/p>\n
I began to think about this – it is a cold, rainy, dreary day here today. Raw. Winter-like. I wanted to try to think in reverse.<\/p>\n
So it’s a gloomy day. It makes all the pretty days so much prettier. I am grateful that it grants contrast. I will appreciate the sunny days more. I know my brother in Seattle enjoys sunny days because there are so many drizzley ones out there!<\/p>\n
If I have aches and pains they remind me that I am alive and I am grateful for analgesics. There was a time when you just had to grin and bare it.<\/p>\n
If my bank account is low I am thankful that I even have one and have been able to provide for my family. There are many in this world who have nothing.<\/p>\n
If I am stressed it means I have a job that requires all of me, challenging me, using my brain. There are some with no job.<\/p>\n
If I am overwhelmed it shows me I need to pace myself. I don’t have to do it all right now. There are those who are no longer able to do anything.<\/p>\n
If there is conflict it means I am in relationship with someone and have the opportunity to grow from it. Some just walk away.<\/p>\n
If I am lonely I can be grateful that I have known wonderful relationships and have beautiful memories. It can prompt me to reach out to someone who may be lonelier than I am.<\/p>\n
If I have regrets, I am thankful that I had choices and though I made bad ones, I can begin again. Some choose to remain the victim.<\/p>\n
If I have questions and doubts I am thankful that these same questions and \u00a0doubts can spurr me on to look for truth. Some become inflexible.<\/p>\n
I hope that is not “Pollyanna-ish” but it always helps to look at the positive side of a situation, if I can. (It make take some time for me to get there!) I recognize that sometimes I just want to be miserable – feel the pain. After all I earned this misery!\u00a0And there is nothing worse than someone trying to cheer me up when I just need to feel miserable! Someone once said, “It is small comfort when you are drowning to be told there are others swimming.” But I\u00a0want to move into positive thoughts rather than stay in the negative. I want to grow and live with a grateful heart.<\/p>\n
What are you thankful for this year?<\/p>\n
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When I sit down to make my Thanksgiving list what do I put down? \u00a0‘Friends’ and ‘family’ (most of them!) are at the top of my list. Then perhaps ‘health’, ‘freedom’… Do I ever express thanks for ‘bad health’, ‘gloomy days’, ‘stress’, ‘conflict’? They wouldn’t be near the top of the list, if they were…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,8,16,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-family","category-holidays","category-personal-thoughts","category-thanksgiving"],"yoast_head":"\n