Thankfulness

I really want to write a post about being thankful. I have started a few different posts about what I am thankful for. But I am quickly discovering that it is hard to capture everything I am thankful for and take for granted. No one post is sufficient.

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I figured it was time to started the obligatory list of things that I am thankful for.

Things to be thankful for
     1. A roof over my head
     2. My kids
     3. My husband

That was a far as I got before something distracted me and I quit. As I wrote that short list, I knew I was writing down the things that everyone writes down. They are the things we take for granted. But, I wanted a list that had unique things on them, things no one else would think of. But writing that kind of list would also takes lots of time, something I don't have. So I didn't bother adding any more to it.

One early morning when I should have been asleep, I was contemplating the above list. I realized that one of the big things I am thankful for is being connected. I am thankful that I have a family who cares about me, prays for me, worries about me. I am thankful that I have church where I have a name and am missed when gone.

As I have been contemplating being thankful, I have been realizing how much I take for granted. How often do I stop and say thank you for those things? The truth is, only once a year.

Shouldn't thankfulness be a daily part of life? It really should be. I have a million things to be thankful for. Maybe if I were more thankful, I would complain less. Maybe life would be a bit less stressful. Maybe, instead of complaining that my children wake me up with leg cramps and teething pain, I should be thankful that I have children who are growing normally. Instead of complaining about the things my husband does that irritate me, I should be thankful for all the small (and big) things he does to show his love and to make my life easier. (Here is where I have to express some of my thankfulness for him and brag on him a little. He is an amazing dad. I could not parent without him.)

If I am to get anything out of this post, I think it should be this - make it a goal to purposely be thankful for something everyday. I need to quit taking life for granted. I need to stop complaining and start being thankful. I shouldn't think about being thankful only once a year; it should be a normal part of daily life.