Thanksgiving is fast approaching. While you’re coping with all the hubbub of getting ready for the feasts and festivities of the holiday season, with shopping, cooking, decorating the home and preparing for guests, it can be easy to lose sight of why we are celebrating. Wouldn’t it be nice to pause for a moment and reflect on reasons to feel a sense of gratitude for what we have? To get things started, here are things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
1. Family
Think of just how happy you are with being able to spend warm moments with all the young and old members of your family. Thanksgiving is often the only time during the year where the entire family can get together and celebrate.
The festivities are about bringing all the generations together under one roof to enjoy one another’s company. Kids come home from college, excited to reunite with relatives, especially those they haven’t gotten a chance to see in a while. Grandparents are delighted with how big the grandchildren are growing, and everyone gets to catch up on family news since the last get-together.
2. Friends
One great thing about the Thanksgiving holiday is that it reminds us we have chances to make new friends every year, and celebrate old friendships time and time again. Being thankful for friends acknowledges the special place they hold in our hearts. If you try to imagine how your life would be without your closest friends, it helps underscore just how important we are to one another.
3. Great Food
Since Thanksgiving is known for being that time of year where people eat abundantly, the great dishes you enjoy are definitely something to be thankful for. Whether everything is made from scratch in one kitchen, or the meal is expanded with dishes that family members bring along or are even prepared by caterers, the delicious food is a cause for giving thanks loudly and often.
You can be thankful for the food itself and the nourishment it provides. It’s also time to thank the people who prepared the food. Of course, Thanksgiving reminds us to feel grateful that the food has helped bring everyone together to enjoy each other’s company.
4. Memories
Every family gathering is a chance to remember the past and make new memories to repeat at the next get-together. This Thanksgiving, you may spark conversations by sharing recent videos and pictures. People always have fun stories to recount, and the tales get better and better over the years with perhaps a little embellishment!
Shared memories are part of the glue that helps keep families together. So every Thanksgiving feast you experience helps to create a fresh set of memories to make family bonds even stronger than before.
5. New Experiences
Think about all of the new things you’ve experienced during the previous 12 months. Perhaps you traveled somewhere new this year? Or maybe you have picked up a hobby? Other things to cherish include trying new food, and getting a chance to hear some new music. Many people maybe you had a new experience with something you have loved your whole life.
6. Quiet Time
Thanksgiving is a good opportunity to reflect on those quiet moments when you took some “me time.” It’s not just the opportunities for you to plan your life on your own, but also the times you spent to enjoy your own company. For example, when you put your mind to a hobby, or just stretched back to relax.
7. Laughter
As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine. Certainly at the very least, you could say that laughter forms the life bond of strong friendships. Being thankful for the laughter that you share with friends and family is an excellent way to commemorate the Thanksgiving holiday.
8. Smiles
These expressions of happiness and joy aren’t just for friends. You can share smiles with neighbors, strangers and new communities alike. Remember that smiles are free, easily replenishable and they are contagious! Just try to avoid smiling back when someone else is beaming at you.
9. Gratitude All Year Long
The pleasant feeling you get from counting your blessings is something to experience all year round, and not just around the Thanksgiving holiday season. Keeping in mind the things you are thankful for can improve your mood and in turn help spread a sense of well being among the people you encounter every day.
Here’s 100 more things to be thankful for this thanksgiving.
