Thanksgiving

Thursday was Thanksgiving. We were able to visit with family that we hadn't seen for a while. It was really very nice. We had a good time and the food was great. And of course there was a tasty turkey. And with the eating of the turkey came the food coma there after that lead to sitting around watching TV.

There were several commercials on TV that encouraged you to give thanks for what you have. One commercial was from St. Jude's Hospital and they said to give thanks for your child that can leave a dirty mess in the house because they are at home while these sick children were living in a hospital. Another commercial was for an insurance agency that showed so many who after hurricane Sandy are living in terrible conditions; no food, no water, no clothes, no shelter, no home, and even though it wasn't mentioned in the ad there are those who have lost loved ones as well. The commercial was giving thanks for those employees who themselves had suffered the same as the clients but instead of focusing on their grief they were reaching out to help.

I know there are many hardships in life and they don't take consideration of what time of year it is or what is happening in our lives. They come and go in their own time and we are left to adjust and accommodate accordingly. I myself have lost loved ones on Thanksgiving Day and have helped my husband through a lay off during Christmas. As hard as these things were there were also many things to be grateful for. There were many reaching out to aid and help and many blessings that came to us and if I had been lost in grief I wouldn't have been able to recognize them let alone receive them.

I am sorry if you are finding yourself suffering at this time but I know that if you are able to take a moment to find the blessings in your life you will see that there are many more than you realize and knowing this will help to comfort you and give you the strength to pull through. There is a song by the Mama's and the Papa's that says, "It's darkest just before dawn." Hold on, count your blessings and you will soon see the sun rising on the horizon lighting the way out.

So grab a piece of paper and pen and write a list of all the things you are grateful for. Do not edit what you write; you are the only one who needs to see this list. And if you feel you are unable to think of anything I will start you off with some ideas.

1. I am grateful that I can breathe on my own.
2. I am grateful for my two feet that I can stand on.
3. I am grateful I can see.
4. I am grateful I can see my children.
5. I am grateful I can hear my children laugh.
6. I am grateful for formula that helps me feed my baby when I have less milk to feed her.
7. I am grateful that my teenage daughter wants to change the baby's dirty diapers.
8. I am grateful that my teenage daughter was able to laugh about the baby spitting up all over her like a water fountain.
9. I am grateful that my husband sends me to bed to get some rest and stays up with the baby.
10. I am grateful for the technology that allows me to see my mother even though we are in different states.

Now take that paper and pen and get to writing. You will feel better after you do it. Even if it is only one thing, write it. Do this every day and before you know it you will find that you feel better. God bless you that your hearts may be light and your pockets heavy.