Life Lessons From Memaw
Memaw always loved Thanksgiving. We would have the traditional food--turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and pumpkin pie. Some side dishes would vary--sweet potatoes casserole, 7-layer bean casserole, and other varieties of vegetables. We lived in Michigan, so we were big Detroit Lions football fans. The Lions played on Thanksgiving. Because my birthday sometimes lands on Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving is always the 4th Thursday of November), my dad would get tickets to the Lions game and we would go as my present. But when we returned that evening, we would eat our Thanksgiving dinner.
Like a lot of people at Thanksgiving, we generally said a prayer before we ate and then went around the table to say what we were thankful for. Most of us would say things like family, friends, the wonderful food, or even the Lions if they won that day:) As a kid, it was "awkward" to say these things but it was what we did.
When we talk about happiness and how to be happy, one of the secret ingredients is to have gratitude. Since Thanksgiving was yesterday, I think this is a good time to talk about what is gratitude and how to "have" it.
Gratitude is when we acknowledge either out loud or in our hearts, those things in our lives that we are thankful for. It can be big (I am thankful for that great job promotion) or small (I'm so glad my newspaper was not wet today). Should we do this constantly--for every little thing? Maybe not, but we should be able to list those things that we are grateful for every day. Some people do it first thing in the morning to start their day off with hope in their heart and a smile on their face. Some do it at night before they go to bed. It varies with me. I usually do it when I have a few minutes of quiet time in my day. Some people write it down, like a journal. Some tell it to people throughout their day. Some say it silently. Again, no right or wrong way of doing it. Just do it.
What gratitude is not. It is not bragging. Recognizing those things in your life you are thankful for is not putting others down or comparing yourself to other people. It is your way of turning your thinking from all the bad in your life to seeing all the good that is there. It is not thanking God if you don't believe in God. Some people think if they say what they are thankful for, then they are thanking God. It is up to you. Some people are thanking God, some are thanking some great Power, some are thanking the Universe. You decide your own spirituality. Even some are thanking Karma.
How do you "have" gratitude? Is it just listing things like at the Thanksgiving table? No. Listing is not enough. You need to be precise and feel it. For example, I wouldn't say "I am thankful my family is healthy." Yes, I am glad about that but I need to be more precise. Here are examples of my gratitude list for today...
I am so thankful that Barb's cataract surgery was so successful last week.
I am so glad that with my eye procedure, I am seeing so much clearer today.
I am very grateful that even though Lizzie lives close, she still wants to come visit us almost every week and calls every day.
I am so happy today that Nick and Maureen celebrated their first Thanksgiving dinner as a married couple.
It is wonderful to see Joe get more and more into his painting since he retired.
My dogs make me laugh and love to cuddle at night.
I love that it is football season and the Bears play today. I am very hopeful that they will win.
I'm glad my Christmas cards turned out great and I'll be sending them out in a day or two.
I love having a fire in my fireplace today. It makes my home so warm and cozy.
Boy, my coffee tasted really good this morning!
Normally, I don't know if I always have 10 things to be thankful every day. I did 10 for simplistic reasons for today. I don't count them. I just say what I am feeling. My statements also are not always "I am thankful for...". For me, that makes it too robotic. I just say what is in my heart--sometimes big things, sometimes very small things.
Again, there is no right or wrong way to say what you have gratitude for. You just need to do it, every day, in your own way, saying your own words, to whoever you want. It really does change your thinking, focusing on the good that is in your life, and making your happy. No, it doesn't solve any of your problems and you don't ignore what issues you may be having that day. But it does give you a good mind set to tackle those problems and have the best outcome for you. And maybe some happiness may creep into your life while all of this is going on...
I am very grateful I created this blog over a year ago. I get to write down all my thoughts and feelings. It has helped me so much. I'm also grateful to whoever reads these blogs. I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.
Blog Website: https://www.lifelessonsfrommemaw.com/
Email: LifeLessonsFromMemaw@gmail.com
Happiness Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt2tydVnVvA&t=4s
