This past week has felt extra-long. Good things happened, but they were overshadowed by hard moments. As the holiday season begins, difficult news or challenging experiences can feel even heavier. It can also make gratitude feel just out of reach. But Thanksgiving week is all about gratitude-so how do we find ways to be grateful when life feels impossible and unfair?
Pausing is often a great place to start. It is a term I have been using with my son, whether his emotions start to feel too big or he does not want to stop an activity. The idea that we will return to a feeling or activity seems to help him regroup. Plus, pausing creates space to take a breath-and breath can be a powerful tool when your body and mind need a chance to reset.
In an episode of The Artfelt Brush podcast, we discussed how a reset can be extremely beneficial. It helps to soften our perspective, making it easier to notice the good around us. And once we can see the good, gratitude naturally follows. But if we cannot find our way back to detecting the good-even in the smallest ways-it becomes nearly impossible to feel grateful for all the beauty our world has to offer.
Finding something to be grateful for every day, not just during Thanksgiving, matters. If you are cancer patient like me, you have probably seen the oncology videos stating patients who practice gratitude regularly experience better long-term outcomes. A grateful mindset has a positive effect on our entire body.
And finding gratitude does not have to be daunting. Often, it is the small, simple things that bring the most joy. For example, I love the way morning light spills through my bedroom window and how my son always snuggles with me before he leaves for school. These small moments help me find gratitude and start my day on a positive note. Additionally, they give me something concrete to remember when hard moments do occur.
My wish for you this Thanksgiving week, is that you find meaningful connection-with family, friends, and community-and that you also find moments of true gratitude. I hope you notice how creaming the mash potatoes are, or the quiet labor of love behind a meal prepared to meet everyone’s dietary needs, or how cozy it feels to play a boardgame after a delicious meal. My hope is that you pause and fully engage in the moment.
And, from my family to yours, we wish you a very happy and bountiful Thanksgiving.
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.~Cicero
The Artfelt Brush 