Gratitude

By: Betty Dangler
Thursday, November 21, 2019

Thanksgiving is a time when we can pause and reflect about all the people and things in our life that mean so much to us. When we express gratitude, there is a certain joy that we experience. We are grateful for all the people that are currently in our lives and those that are no longer with us. We are grateful for all the memories we have of them and how each person has touched our lives.

Death can never take away the memories we have of our loved ones. They were once a part of our lives, and for this, we can be grateful. We can miss them, love them, honor them for they will always be a part of us.

So, when you raise your glass to make a Thanksgiving toast, take a few moments to thank those who are currently around your table for being a part of your life as well as those who are no longer physically sitting around your table. Both the living and the dead will always be a part of you and live forever in your heart.

So often we think of things we would like to say to someone special but don’t always get the chance or don’t always take the time. I was reading an article about some Thanksgiving traditions and really liked this one. As you make place cards for your guests who will be sitting around your Thanksgiving table, write on one side why you are thankful for that person. I can assure you it will probably take them by surprise and make for some unforgettable conversation and memory.

Let the Thanksgiving holiday be a time that reminds us to be thankful, not just on one day a year, but each and every day for those who have touched our lives and shared in our cherished memories. For it is in this expression of gratitude that we will find our joy.

 

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