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At church today, I listened to a sermon about celebrating Thanksgiving before Christmas. Sounds kind of odd right? I mean, Thanksgiving is before Christmas on the calendar, why would we have to be reminded of it?  The speaker went on to talk about the growing trend of people jumping right from Halloween to Christmas, completely skipping over the practice of Thanksgiving. It was a great reminder that we, as a society, get all wrapped up in decorating for Halloween and Christmas and just kind of settle with eating Turkey and watch football on Thanksgiving.  Once Christmas rolls around and we open presents, we are thankful for the gifts.  Sound familiar? I pondered how to be grateful, how to have a thankful attitude, and how to cultivate a thankful attitude on a daily basis.

What if we practice the art of Thanksgiving, and really appreciate the Holiday? This sentiment is written about in my prior blog post From misfortune to thankfulness.  Instead of thinking of Thanksgiving as Turkey Day, or that boring holiday between Halloween and Christmas, make it a celebration of all that you have been blessed with; even the gifts that you didn’t ask for.  You know, the ones that make life a little more challenging or painful right now. Maybe you have a health diagnosis that punched you in the gut, maybe you are unemployed right now, an unexpected caregiver, a widow, childless unexpectedly, struggling in your marriage, struggling to make ends meet, affected by a natural disaster, lost a pet, or so many other possibilities.  Instead of dwelling on the dark side of your unexpected, unintended gift; try to look at the blessings in your life, the lessons you are learning, the strength you are gaining, and the hope in the future that you have.  This takes work but it can change your mindset. In times of struggle and disaster, people come together. Perhaps in your tragedy you have realized just how many friends you have, just how close-knit your church is, or just how supportive your family is.

You’ve heard it stated that attitude is key in your outlook and in changing your circumstances.  Anne Frank stated beautifully: “I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains”. That is a pretty powerful statement from someone who could have turned bitter due to all of the pain she endured.  It is a great reminder for me to look at the beauty instead of the ashes from all of the heartache and tragedy my family has endured this year. There are some beautiful moments and opportunities that have arisen out of heartache.

As we near Thanksgiving, try to think of someone you can thank and tell them how and why you appreciate them.  Say a prayer of thanksgiving. Show someone gratitude by giving them an unexpected gift or writing a card and sending it in the mail. Sending cards is such a wonderful way to show someone you are thinking of them. It takes effort and intentionality but is practiced so sparingly these days. Think of how surprised your friend, family member, or coworker would be to receive a card from you. Think about how pleased your postal carrier would be as you thank him/her for the timeliness in your mail delivery, or your local cashier at the grocery store when you tell them how much you appreciate their smile while they work. The possibilities to bless someone with a “thank you” are endless.  I would love to hear how you brighten someone’s day and thank them.

Once Thanksgiving is over on the calendar, continue practicing gratitude. Every day is a chance to be thankful for something. When the sun is out, be thankful for its warmth. When the rain begins, be thankful for the flowers and greenery it will cultivate. When the wind blows, be thankful that it is spreading seeds and germinating new growth. Every day we are alive, we have a chance to thank our creator for breath in our lungs. Every day, we have a chance to brighten someone else’s day. Every day, we have a choice to have an attitude of gratitude and make the choice to rejoice, or we can grumble and stumble, gripe, argue, and complain. The latter will make us, and those around us, miserable, the former will bring joy to others and lighten our step.

Be joyful, be bold, be courageous, smile, and brighten someone’s day.