A New List for Me

On this Thanksgiving, I am striving to have "an attitude of gratitude". My daughter wrote about this in her blog a few days ago, and her comments struck home with me, and the term has remained in my mind.

Imagine how our lives would improve if we're just grateful for what we have - even the tiny things we take for granted all of the time. If we concentrate on what we have, maybe we won't be so envious of other people or what they have, and stemming from there maybe there would be less family discord, crime and hatred in the world. I know this is a simplistic and Pollyanna attitude, but I'm going to have "an attitude of gratitude" as my goal. My attitude is going to start with me. Instead of wishing I had more money, more time, more sunshine, etc., etc., I'm going to list three things every single day that I'm grateful for.

I talked with two people this week who have an attitude of gratitude. One of them is a new consignor who moved to Utah from England. Rather than whining about missing her family or her country, as I'm sure I would be, she and her husband are so grateful to be in Utah, with the greatest snow on earth. I'm afraid snow won't ever be on my list of things to be grateful for, but this conversation was a reminder to me to be grateful for the beautiful place in this world that I call home, rather than always wishing my toes were in the sand.

The other person who amazes me with her attitude of gratitude is a friend who lost her husband this past summer. For years, he has served Thanksgiving dinner to anyone he could find who had nowhere else to go. Last year he fed 100 people. My friend is continuing that tradition in his honor. She told me she has much to be grateful for, and where else would these people go for Thanksgiving? She's thinking of all that she has, rather than all that she lost.

So when you hear me complaining about all the work I have to do, and the stacks of incoming consignments waiting for me in the back room, remind me to be grateful that I am able to work, and that I have work to do. And when I'm making my "grateful lists", the names of my pretty daughters will always appear. How did I get so lucky?