Traditions for being thankful
No matter what this day means to you in terms of food, family or friends, take a moment to incorporate giving thanks as part of it. In my family, we have tried different ways of formally expressing thanks with varying degrees of success. We have held hands at the table while each of us takes a turn sharing something to be thankful about. We have written anonymous notes of thanks on slips of paper, put the folded notes into a box, and then pulled them out to be read at random. We have had one person read a prayer, verse or poem of thanks while the rest listen. We have made jokes about silly things we are thankful for, repeated what people before us said for lack of something else to say, and sat through lectures about keeping priorities straight and being thankful for what’s important. Whatever approach you take, the act of being thankful makes a difference in your day. When we remind ourselves and each other about what we are thankful for, we enter a state of being grateful, which brings additional benefits to our attitude, outlook and health, as this post from the past explains. So consider being thankful today along with whatever else you do, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!