Thankfulness.

Gratitude.

These words make the world so much better.

I am thankful for family and friends who love and support me.

I am thankful for my parents, who although they are no longer here in earthly form, continue to be present in my life every single day with the love that they instilled in me all those years.

I am thankful for the beautiful place where we live – for those who are my neighbors and those who help take care of our community.

I am thankful for our wonderful grandson, Theo, who brings so much joy and light into our lives.

I am thankful for my fur babies who bring me much joy.

I am thankful for our country.  Even though it may have some flaws and challenges it is still a pretty wonderful place to live.

I am thankful for musicians, artists and writers who enrich my world with their creativity and gifts.

I am thankful for every day that I wake up and have the opportunity to be me.

Need some ideas of ways to express your gratitude? How about these ideas?

1. Keep a gratitude journal.

2. Simply say thank you to someone.

3.  Meditate or pray.

4. Focus on others.

5. Write a thank you to someone who has made a difference in your life.

6. Pay it forward in a drive through or at a restaurant.

7. Look for one thing every day that you can do to make a small difference in the world.

When we focus on others and show kindness it is a way to recognize our own gratitude and thankfulness for all that we have.

But perhaps most importantly, I am thankful for YOU. Thank you for taking time to stop and read and comment.  I will be back on Monday with a new post but until then – Happy Thanksgiving.

“If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” ~ Harold Kushner

“Gratitude is something of which none of us can give too much. For on the smiles, the thanks we give, our little gestures of appreciation, our neighbors build their philosophy of life.” ~ A. J. Cronin

“Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have—life itself.” ~ Walter Anderson