Thankful, Staying Grateful

Fall is here, my second least favorite time of the year. It is comical in this house that the Chadlings love love love Fall/Winter and the parents love love love Spring/Summer. My inner voice has finally embraced seasonal shifts. I am guessing this is yet another one of those wonderful things to come with aging (like your eyelid drooping or the crepe skin no amount of cocoa butter could save you from).   Or the fight to resist it has weakened me.

Social media is flooding with decorating ideas for a fancy centerpiece and all the appreciations for another one can squeeze in ONE month. Every year around this time and usually a few times in other seasons will my loved ones hear me bitch about the thankful challenge during November. I say all the time I am gonna write the rant but never do. The kind sweet-blooded person in me is always worried I will offend or hurt someone’s feelings. So please take note, I am not saying ANY of this to be unkind. I loathe the challenge as much as I loathe cold weather. Hard truth.

I get that the upcoming holiday (dare not name because yes, it’s true, I dislike it too) provokes this well meaning sense of thankfulness from others in that mushy verbally vomiting way and wishful thinking of happy days perfectly cooked from Pinterest Turkey boards get one all excited. I do get it. I just don’t get why it’s only during November and NOT all year long that people don’t speak up in thankful, staying grateful.

Over the last few years I have noticed that if we found one thing, one person, or one moment to feel blessed in during the day it lessens the blow of what harshness is going on around. No one lives a perfect life no matter how witty that post was or dripping in thanks another confessed. Thus began the personal quest to follow my spirit in light of it.

And…Every day, yes, I do, find something to be thankful for. Even in my most hysterical cries of sugar woes I cannot shit anymore days will I remind myself to find thanks, give thanks, show thanks, walk in thanks….

Be THANKFUL today, tomorrow, and into next FALL. Write it on a sticky note, text it to anyone, acknowledge it in some form of prayer or song, and sure even to the world but be mindful of where it’s landing because it is in how you express it and where it lands will be what feeds the spirit.

When we shift our focus to a daily mind frame of what’s going on around us so much takes on a new perspective. Even holidays bring about new traditions.  Seasons happen for a reason. Fall is here to remind one of yummy foods sure and to remind us that time change sucks too so…it really is about being thankful, staying grateful.