Now that stores are making it easier and easier to shop your Thanksgiving away (this just in, another big box store is opening at 6:00 AM Thanksgiving morning!), it also gets easier to take the holiday for granted.
For some, the whole shopping experience is part of their family tradition, but we challenge everyone this season to try and be mindful of everything you are grateful for as you are out looking for that screaming deal on a new flat screen.
As we approach Thanksgiving and the inevitable shopping season, take a few minutes to inventory all that you have. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Write a gratitude list:
This is great to do on your own or as a group with your family or whomever you might be spending the Thanksgiving holiday. Try to write as much as you can in 5 minutes about everything you are grateful for, from the invention of the toaster oven to your mother’s spot-on gravy recipe. Nothing is too small or insignificant to be important to you or bring you joy, and this is a nice way to acknowledge those things. For a little variety, keep an ongoing tally throughout the month that you can share around the table during your big turkey feast. You can also have the kids make their own gratitude boards as festive and fun decorations.
Small gestures can count in the biggest ways:
Community service and giving can help families come together and offer a new appreciation for the health, happiness and abundance they have in their own lives. Look into local food pantries or community centers where you might be able to donate food or time. Maybe you know someone who can’t celebrate Thanksgiving with their own family who could really benefit from an extra chair at your table. Every little bit helps.
Give thanks where it counts:
Veterans Day and Thanksgiving fall in the same month, so why not merge the two together for a true month of gratitude? Many men and women are separated from their families during the holidays, and that is not an easy sacrifice to make. Work with friends or family members to put together care packages for the brave men and women sacrificing their own holidays so we can enjoy ours. Make a special point of including their bravery on your gratitude list and stick it in the mail. You can bet that they will share in your gratitude, and it will mean all the world.