Be Grateful

Thanksgiving is coming quickly. I've come to know that I readily recognize my many reasons to be thankful to God and to others, but giving and showing thanks to them comes with more difficulty. I've been thinking about this a lot during this Thanksgiving season and found some ways to express gratitude and let others know they are appreciated. Try these ideas with your children, spouses, family, friends....

• Just say it. "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." --William Arthur Ward


• Be aware of what they like. Plan activities with them that they enjoy. Does your child enjoy coloring? Don't just give them a coloring book and crayons. Sit down with them. Color your own picture. Does your spouse enjoy being in the outdoors? Plan an outing to the mountains. This shows that you are aware of them and want to create memories with them. It will make them feel appreciated and create wonderful memories for them to reminisce over.


• Give hugs & snuggles. Hold hands. "You can't wrap love in a box, but you can wrap a person in a hug." --Unknown


• Help them. Not just when they ask, but seek out those opportunities. I had a friend once who felt unappreciated in his marriage. He said he wished just once his wife would bring out a glass of water while he was mowing the lawn. Such a simple task would have made him feel so appreciated.


• Leave a note. Send a text message or an email. Put a note in the car or on the mirror letting them know you appreciate all they do. Send a quick text message during the day letting them know you appreciate their hard work (at school or at work).


• Make their favorite treats. Is there a better way to show you care for someone than making something sweet?


• Give praise to them in front of others. My husband does this. It goes a long way. It makes me want to do more for him. I appreciate being appreciated! I want to make him feel that way too.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."-- Melody Beattie