A Grateful Heart - Thanksgiving Reflection.

A day of thanksgiving seems so minute in relation to the blessings bestowed upon me. I am not alone in feeling this way. It follows then that all around social media, at any time of the year, you may come across a 10-day gratefulness challenge, or some similar exercise. It is a healthy exercise that aids us to pause, even in the midst of chaos, and reflect on all the little things we may overlook or take for granted as we move through life.

It is therapeutic to take that time, to reflect on it all… and to be grateful.

And it has the power to rearrange our perspective, to move closer to a state of being in which we carry that gratefulness with us beyond the one day of Thanksgiving, or the 10-day challenge period.

Last month I was very lucky to lead a group of middle and high school youth on a Generations of Faith meeting in which we worked together to re-write some of the words to a song titled “Thank You Lord”.?We had so much fun! ?First, listing all of the things, people, and experiences we are all thankful for, and later, singing it out loud in gratefulness. And it was even more beautiful to share with each other, young and old(er) our perspective in the little things that matter to each of us, in the blessings we are grateful for.

With that, I invite you all to take some time and reflect on life, on all you are blessed with, how far we’ve come! Consider carrying this grateful state of mind and heart throughout the year. It is in our own power to find a feeling of grace, even through and past the storms we navigate in life.

I am grateful every day for waking up. For the clothes and shoes in my closet that I get to choose to wear. For running water and electricity, and internet connection. For being in awe of the sunrise, and the birds that gather in the tree beyond my backyard to sing to the rising sun. I am grateful for the silence of the morning that brings me closer to God. For the morning prayers that help me, as a compass would, to set a course for this new day. I am grateful for the sweet dog Frank, who chases his tail in excitement and leaps for joy when we get ready for our daily morning walk. I give thanks for having a job I love to do, and for all the jobs before this, which with their challenges and some scattered terrible experiences, prepared me for this amazing adventure I live today. ?I am grateful for my leaders and their families, for making me and my family feel like we are all part of one big family. For their guidance, all that they teach me, for their faith and trust in me, for their investments in my continued growth. And their families all the while, just as caring!?I am grateful that my husband woke up today too. ?Even with daily suffering and medical issues that could sink anyone into a dark depression, he leaves me little love and thank you notes to find by the coffee pot in the morning. ?I am grateful he has returned to his faith, and for how he shares my daily exercise of being grateful for our blessings. I am grateful for my parents, whose patience I have tested so many times growing up. I am grateful when they pick up the phone and we get to talk as if I were only down the street or sitting right next to them in the living room, instead of 1,700 miles away. Grateful for my brother and sister, and their families, for my niece and nephew as they grow and develop their personalities. I am grateful for the education I was able to receive at Saint Joseph’s University and the Jesuit teaching that helps me stay focused at being a contemplative in action. I am grateful also for all the bad moments in my life, I have not only survived them, but have come to understand true love and forgiveness as I navigated through healing. I wear the scars of life with no regrets. I am grateful for a wonderful woman I met just in the past year, who is now a mentor, a coach and a friend. For the passion with which she helps everyone willing to invest the time to become better versions of themselves. Thankful to have made a holiday treat over a video call with a newfound and dear friend, who encourages me to update my LinkedIn profile, and reminds me to practice what I preach. Grateful for the friend we made in the first week we moved to Texas, who turns 82 years old today! And for all the beautiful friendships we have made along the way in our cross-country adventures. Grateful for family, two beautiful people inside and out, the children my husband brought into our lives. Blessed to know them and love them and feel their love and rejoice in the friendship their mother and I also share. ?So you see, a simple, annual day of thanksgiving, is so minute in comparison to the blessings we have. I can go on with my own list, there is so much more! ?I am grateful to share this day with you all. And wish you a beautiful day and a continued state of gratefulness all year through! Happy Thanksgiving!