Being thankful

I am incredibly thankful….

I have so much to be thankful for…

Despite the fact that I have a bad cold and I am sitting on the couch surrounded by tissues and cold medicine, I am spending time thinking about how truly grateful I am for everything in my life. I could be moaning and groaning because let’s face it no one likes being sick, especially right before a holiday weekend, but a cold is just a temporary annoyance.  

Thanksgiving offers all of us a wonderful chance to reflect on everything that we have to be thankful for, and I have an embarrassment of riches in my life.

·      I have a wonderful husband. I am thankful every single day that he came into my life.  He isn’t perfect, but he is absolutely perfect for me. He makes my life better every single day.  

·      I have two of the most amazing incredible children in the world. My two daughters make me so proud every single moment. I know that all parents think their children are exceptional, but my daughters give me reasons every day to be proud of them.

·      I have a grandson who is the light of my life. He is already such a kind and caring person and I am excited and grateful each and every day to watch him grow into the amazing person he is becoming. 

·      I have a beautiful home. It is a place that is warm and welcoming. I love coming home each day and feeling that special contentment that our home brings.

·      I have the sweetest dog. I am so grateful she came into our lives. She adds so much joy to our home each and every day. 

·      Other than this annoying cold right now, I am grateful for my health. I am working on losing weight, but I am able to do all the things I want to. I don’t have any major health problems and that really is something to be grateful for every single day.

·      I have a wacky and wonderful family that I am grateful for. My father is 89 years old and even though he is struggling with health issues, I get to spend time with him and I know that is something to celebrate and be especially grateful for. I have wonderful siblings who are all so different and I know that they love me – each in their own way. I have the most amazing nieces and nephews and I treasure my relationship with all of them. I am even lucky enough to have beautiful great nieces and nephews. 

·      I have a fun car to drive. I had always wanted a convertible and it does add a lot of joy to my life. There is nothing quite like driving along with the top down on a warm and sunny day. 

·      I have had the privilege of travelling across the world. I have been to Europe and Asia and across most of this country. I am grateful every single day for the ability to travel and see new places and learn about different cultures. 

·      I have really wonderful friends. Some I see often and others I see only sometimes, but they are always in my thoughts. Friendships make our lives richer and I am very rich indeed with some of the most wonderful people that I am honored to call friend.

·      I am so grateful for all of the experiences that make my life more fun. I love being able to watch my beloved Sun Devils with my husband. Our evenings watching ASU basketball make me so happy. Having things we love to do together adds so much to our lives.

·      I am thankful for my kindle and my ridiculously large collection of books. I love reading and my books bring me great joy.

·      I am thankful to live in Arizona where the weather is beautiful for so much of the year. The warm sunny days offer so many opportunities to enjoy being outdoors. 

·      I am so thankful that we have enough money to pay our bills and even have enough to splurge once in awhile on fun things like basketball tickets or Christmas decorations. I know that there are so many people who do not have that privilege. 

There are so many more things I could add to this list. Expressing gratitude for the many wonderful things in your life can make a big difference.  Being thankful is actually healthier. “Studies show that people who more frequently think about and express gratitude tend to be happier and less lonely or anxious. They cope better with stress and trauma and are more forgiving, helpful and empathetic.”

This holiday weekend enjoy your turkey dinner and spend some time thinking about your life and what you are thankful for. If you have a few minutes, write your list down – and occasionally take out your list during the upcoming year, reminding yourself of the many things you are thankful for.