Thanksgiving All Year Long

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend with family, friends, sharing meals together, making new memories, sharing old memories, filling you with gratitude. 

When I asked my son what he is thankful for, a habit we are getting into each day at mealtimes, he replied with his family, friends and his lunch. (his responses used to be either food or trucks and trailers so this is branching out!) Relationships are so meaningful, and life is meant to live with each other, and I love how even at a young age, kids pick up on this. They innately know that things and toys may break and do not bring them lasting joy, but relationships are so much more...more love, more joy. And the more thanks is given, the more joy there is. 

Reflecting back on Thanksgivings past, the words of gratitude for experiencing a loss on Thanksgiving were ones I never thought I'd say. This quote from Ann Voskamp captured the thought perfectly. From her book One Thousand Gifts, "That that which tears open our souls, those holes that splatter our sight, may actually become the thin, open places to see through the mess of this place to the heart-aching beauty beyond. To Him. To the God whom we endlessly crave." The broken mess, is often where we are soft, where things grow out of... Jesus broke bread and gave thanks, knowing full well he was on His way to the cross. He gave thanks. This blows my mind every time I think of it. He knew what a lasting joy it would bring for us. It's in those moments of pain, that I wonder, could I give thanks? It is probably the last thing I think of doing...

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Gratitude is contagious. After Riley began listing things he was thankful for, Brynn piped up in her voice that reaches the highest octave when she can't contain her excitement and began listing family members, friends and any pets she could think of. Their smiles beamed and watching them so joy-filled, brought contagious joy to the room. 

There are days where I feel in a 'funk' of motherhood, mundane tasks, those days where it seems as though joy is zapped out, self-confidence is out the window and negativity grips my every thought. Taking a deep breath, looking up and around, beginning to create an ongoing list of thanks... the anxiety slips away, stress is at ease, joy fills my soul and thanks brings Him glory.  

Thanksgiving all year long. An open-ended journal of gratitude. What will this year look like if we fill it with thanks?

Thankful for....the pile of leaves and watching the kids jump into it

                    ....the baby's gummy smile 

                    ....stirring butternut squash soup while wafts of it drift into the house

                   ....dance parties in the kitchen 

                    ....this space to connect

                     ....all of you

#thanksgiving #gratitude