No one – I repeat NO ONE is gliding through 2020 without
Inconvenience
Frustration
Stress
Anxiety
Extreme Sadness
Anger
Fear
I think a lot of us were hoping that the diversion of the upcoming holidays would help to give us a bit of a boost. A time to gather. To carry out beloved traditions. A time to laugh.
And then the wake-up call – this pandemic thing is not finished yet.
We are told to stay home. To NOT gather. (But you are gathering TP, aren’t you?)
But they didn’t tell us we couldn’t laugh! That we couldn’t turn things around and make them better!
(They couldn’t tell us whether we put up a Christmas tree early or not.)
I’m here to remind you that we are made of tough stuff – we have resolve that can carry us through much more than has already been thrown at us.(Oh, yeah – AND we have Pinterest!)
I want to encourage you to reach into your reserves and pull out what will help you to not just survive, but to thrive!
I am urging you to be thankful. Thankfulness is a self-imposed mode of operation that changes your outlook and can affect those around you as well.
Take this wisdom from the philosopher, Willie Nelson: “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”
And from A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh: “Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude!”
Because I know a lot of us are a bit frazzled and numb right now, here are some constructive ways to nurture a thankful heart:
- Say “Thank You.” This reminds you that someone is doing something for you. As many families are feeling cooped up, manners and respect may be falling to the side. A friend of mine signs off her emails with “Be kinder than necessary.” Yes. Let’s do that.
- If you or your kids have a hard time actually verbalizing it (they are itty bitty, or they are sullen teens) have them learn the sign language for “thank you.” Link here: sign-language-thank-you.
- Place some reminders around your home that are meant to have you pause and consciously think of something to be thankful for. (Hearts, lips, smileys, or your own design)
- Make a personal “thank you” be a part of however your Thanksgiving day observance shapes up. My family plans to be apart and safe, but we are gathering via Zoom for pie and conversation. My wish is that each person would share -not of some “thing” to be thankful for, but “SOME ONE” specifically, and explain why.
- Do something for someone else. Is there a neighbor you could help with some outdoor clean up or a shopping trip you could run for an elderly person or mom with lots of littles? Is there a phone call you could make to someone you know that is pretty lonely right now? Gather protein bars, water bottles or gift cards to hand out to people you may see on a street corner who are obviously holding it together by holding a sign.
If you are like me, I need good distractions these days, and being busy about being thankful is one of the best ways I know to keep my head up and my heart strong.
I am sincerely hoping that in the future, we will look back on 2020 with the knowledge that we learned how to dig deep inside and then looked around ourselves for ways to make our world a better place.
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
Robert Brault
I would love for you to share what you are doing to lead a more thankful life in 2020.
Is there someone in your life that could use help to lead their home to be more thankful and productive?
“All Done Day” would be a great Christmas gift!
