With Gratitude For You
Nurturing a grateful spirit
When our son, Alessio, was a little boy, we had a Thanksgiving family tradition of creating a gratitude chain. I cut strips of fall-hued craft paper on which we would write our grateful sentiments and then link them together to forge a family bond. Once he aged out of craft paper strips, I decided to transition our Thanksgiving gratitude tradition from flimsy paper to a keepsake journal that my husband, Andrea, had gotten on a Singapore business trip.
Since 2020, I’ve kept the colorful, fabric-bound, handmade book in the kitchen/great room area during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. This way, each of us can exercise the all-important reflexive gratitude muscle and record our thankful thoughts for posterity.
Last Thursday, November 21, a chill ran through my body as I realized I had forgotten to pull out the gratitude journal for the month. Some mom and wife I am! I was so distracted by life’s twists and turns that I completely forgot about our Thanksgiving tradition. Good heavens!Â
After I had finished kicking myself, I figured all was not lost; a little gratitude was better than no gratitude at all, so I went in search of the journal. Scanning the pages as I set it out for this year reinforced the importance of the practice. It has become equal parts time capsule, scrapbook, measuring stick, and holiday tradition…no matter how many or how few entries.
Spontaneous gratitude
As Alessio nears his 18th birthday, I am heartened to see his genuinely grateful spirit shine throughout the year. Although we’ve endeavored to equip him with many life tools, cultivating this secret to true joy and happiness may be the most important habit that he takes with him into the world.
I know that spontaneous gratitude (which I wrote about in Grateful for Gratitude) for the simplest things has been my lifesaver over the years. Last week, however, reminded me that gratitude requires constant care and feeding, and I needed to get back to counting my blessings instead of my woes.
Thank YOU
As I wrote in the family journal this morning, I’m reminded how blessed I am to have taken the leap with Ageosophy. Thank you for blessing me with your readership; I appreciate it more than you know. I certainly don’t take it for granted and will work to make next year’s information, insight, and inspiration even better to live well, age great.
I wish you and your family a very Blessed and (delicious) Happy Thanksgiving!
Camy