Holidays can be tough when your family feels fractured. So for our readers in the U.S., I hope you survived Thanksgiving able to swallow a bite or two of turkey and not washing it down with too much wine. Or bitterness.
Though I'm Canadian, the emphasis on gratitude – thanks to the myriad U.S.-based sites/Twitter feeds I subscribe to – has me counting my own blessings...and remembering back to when I wondered just how many I had.
Herewith my guide to gratitude...when the last thing you're feeling is lucky:
Gratitude is something that feeds on itself. The more you notice it, you'll more you'll find. So...when you're really scratching the bottom, here are some ideas to get your started:
•My children are healthy: I know many families struggling with sick kids – cancer, autism, muscular dystrophy... I hope you're not one of them. On days when I found little in my life to be thankful for, I could be grateful that was one burden I didn't have to bear.
•My parents are alive and healthy: Though I've since lost my mom, who was my biggest cheerleader and wisest mentor, when I was at my worst, she was my rock.
•I'm financially solvent: With the recent financial meltdown, I'm grateful that, though I may have problems, money isn't one of them.
•I love my work. I'm a journalist and author who feels enormously grateful that I have work that feeds my soul...and sometimes my ego.
•I'm skinny! Yes, I know it's twisted and part of society's obsession with weight, but the 10 pounds I lost on the "infidelity diet" made me feel skinny and sexy. And stepping on the scales each morning was one of the few things that cheered me up.
That was generally it. And it was enough that – on a good day – I could really see that I did have things in my life to feel grateful for.
Try it. You can even do it online here. And please share with us.
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