Season of Gratitude

Tis the season to give thanks, and us moms have so much to be thankful for. It is so easy to say we are thankful, but are we living a life of gratitude? We are all guilty to some degree of taking things for granted. It’s easy to get caught up in the routine of life and start feeling like you want more. Maybe it’s a bigger house, nicer car, more clothes, more travel, or even more Christmas presents for the kids. Please do not read that the wrong way. It’s perfectly acceptable to want nice things. I also like nice things. Do I have any right now? No, I have four boys, which means it may be a very long time before I actually get any. My point is that the “nice things” we all want aren’t the things I would consider myself the most thankful for.

Gratitude is a perspective and it takes practice to have a grateful attitude. It means taking in all the moments, good or bad, with an appreciative heart as our guide. This does not mean you should never feel grief, sorrow, sadness, or even anger. It does not mean you have to be thankful for everything. Simplified, it means that while navigating around all of those feelings, there are still other aspects to your life that can bring you joy and peace, if you choose to let them. Not every moment spent with your kids is glorious and/or joyful, but I think it is safe to say that the majority would still put “my children” at the top of the list for things they are thankful for. It’s easy to say without hesitation, even in our very lowest moments with them.

This year, as I pondered what I am grateful for during an average day, I thought about a lot of small moments and general observations. A hug shared between brothers, a random snuggle in my lap, random helpfulness, loud laughter, happy faces, sunshine, no illnesses, a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and the sheer fact that we have each other. I thought about the friends and family that would do anything for us if we should need them to. I thought about how rich in love we are and I thanked God as I thought about it, even though it sounds cheesy. I never once thought about how nice our things were, but honestly I should add that to the list. We are so very fortunate and I am so very grateful for this life I live. Blessed is an understatement.

Then, I thought about how I am also grateful for my house full of crying, whining, fighting, arguing, chaos, and disarray. Doesn’t mean I have to like it, but I would choose every single bit of it, if I had to do it all over again. Truth be told, I know I will miss kissing their boo boos, holding them when they need comfort, and oddly the sheer chaos itself. Occasionally, we can even view the difficult things with a thankful heart.

I once read a quote about gratitude on a roadside sign. The sign belonged to a business near my home, so I actually read it closer to fifty times that week. I would later discover it was only the first part of the quote. It read, ‘Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more.’ I pictured that sign over and over in my head, long after it was taken down. One day I googled it to find the author and what I read has always resonated with me.

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity… it makes sense of the past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” -Melody Beattie

Happy Thanksgiving mamas. Let’s go into this week and the holiday season a little less concerned with the presents, appearances, and opinions. Let’s truly be grateful for what matters and have a readiness to show our appreciation for them. Let’s be sure to show our gratitude with acts of kindness and not forget to be thankful for even the smallest things.