Still Thankful.

Still thankful. Yesterday, today, tomorrow. I love that we dedicate an entire day to gather with family, friends, and loved ones, eat our favorite foods, and give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. While it is a very special holiday, to me, Thanksgiving is so much more than just a day in November. The term Thanksgiving is technically a noun – a word that describes both the holiday and the means of expressing gratitude. To me, it should be classified as a verb – an action word.

Thanksgiving is an action, and one that we should be prioritizing in our everyday lives, every single day of the year. Being grateful is an essential aspect of life. We should recognize our blessings and acknowledge just how lucky we are to have them in our lives.

We should be consistently thanking the people we know and love in our lives: our family, friends, teachers, coaches, classmates, teammates, co-workers, peers, etc. But we should also be thanking the people we don’t even know who impact our daily lives. Think about the stranger who let you cross the street, the Starbucks employee who makes your coffee, the boy who held the library door open for you, the grandma who complimented your outfit, the person who bagged your groceries, and all the random acts of kindness you don’t even realize occur around you. You never know the value of a simple “Thank You” or the magnitude those two words can have on a person’s day, week, or life.

In addition to the people in our lives, I think it’s also important to acknowledge the experiences, the memories, the material things, and the tangible and intangible aspects of our lives that bring us joy and fulfillment. Too often, we overlook the things in our lives that make us who we are. We take it all for granted. The very opportunity to continue to wake up and live each day is a blessing we should be thankful for, and something we should praise God for day in and day out.

I’ve found that the more I take the time to acknowledge the people and things I am thankful for, the more I come to truly appreciate them. Thanksgiving is a practice, it is not something you can master or be perfect at all the time. However, it is an action that brings a lot of clarity into your life, and allows you to feel comfort in receiving your blessings. You stop feeling guilty for the gifts that you receive, and you start feeling lucky and grateful for the opportunities that come your way.

I challenge you to practice the action of thanksgiving. Tell your loved ones how lucky you are to have them in your life. Thank a stranger when they do something kind for you. Start recognizing the blessings around you and truly practice gratitude for them. As they say, it’s the little things in life that mean the most, but they mean even more when you are able to be thankful and appreciate what you have while you have it.

Xoxo,

Kaci