The Gift Of Gratitude

Gratitude is a word we hear a lot these days, especially during the holiday season. Many of us think we are grateful and move on.

Gratitude has become something that has kept myself and my family grounded and given us perspective that at times we have needed.

When we were in the new stage of a single parent family, someone had mentioned that they had started a gratitude jar and each day everyone in the family would write down at least one thing they were grateful for and put it in the jar. They did this for a year and at the end of the year, they had a special family night and read the notes each one had put in the jar over the course of the year, and they were able to see how their hearts had changed for the better as well as their attitudes and their thinking patterns. I was really intrigued by this idea and thought it would be a great idea for my family as well. Since then, I have talked with others who do variations of this concept and how rewarding it is.

Some of the variations that others have shared worked for their family. One person said they would write things down through out the week and then add to the jar. Another one said that instead of using a jar, they would have dinner each night together and talk about the one thing (or more) that they were grateful for that day. They would also share what was the best part of their day. This is a great way to get your family involved and interacting, especially at dinner time. This is what my son and I do. Dinner time has always been a time where we sit and enjoy our meal and talk about the day and what we are grateful for, the best part of the day, and something we learned as well. We continue to do this and it is a really special time.

For some folks, they do a combination of the daily or weekly notes put into the jar, along with conversation of the day. Some folks journal and have one specifically for gratitude. It really is what works for you and your family.

At first when I was thinking about how we could implement this as a family, I looked at it as one more thing to do, can you relate? I soon realized that I needed to change my attitude and way of thinking, and give it a try. I did not realize that it would become a constant in our home and make such a positive impact on all of us. It is something we look forward too, and when one of us starts to get into a negative thought space, gently talking through the day and what we are grateful for makes all the difference.

I have found that as a single parent, I can get caught up in the overwhelmed and feel like things will never get better or change for the better. Have you been there? Me too.  Looking for things to be thankful for and to have a grateful heart, well it changes everything. I have found that it not only changes me and my family for the better, but also my situation. Negativity does not help anyone. That is part of what is so encouraging about gratitude and writing it down, as you can look in the jar of gratitude, or read in the journal all the Blessings and Gifts God had given each day and how far you and your family have come. Sometimes when we are so deep into our own stuff, we miss a lot of the Blessings along the way and gratitude is one way to see and experience those gifts that otherwise may be missed and not fully experienced as God had intended.

There have been times where I felt the struggle to find something good in the day, week, month or year, and at times had to really force myself to practice gratitude, but when I did, it changed my heart and my attitude for the better. Often times my son would be the one to remind me and ask me to share one thing that I was grateful for that day, and once I shared one, many followed; before I knew it I had many good things to share and I was in a much better place. All it took was my son asking me to mention one thing I was grateful for that day. That in itself was a gift. It also reminded me of how much my son learns from me and the example I set. He was being gentle and kind. He knew I needed some encouragement and a reminder that we can always find something to be grateful for. Grateful for that.

What can you do today to encourage gratitude in your heart and your family?

What is one thing today that you are grateful for?

A gentle reminder to you sweet friend is that small steps forward lead to great victories.