If you’re Thankful and You Know It Clap Your Hands!

My parents have always been big into gratitude.  It started with teaching us manners like saying “thank you” for everything gifted or done for us kids. Then gratitude took the form of “understanding the value of a dollar” and learning how much work it took to earn the money that bought those sneakers. Later, gratitude was understanding that although we didn’t have everything we wanted, we should be happy with what we have; that there were “children all over the world who would love to have what you have.”

At Thanksgiving, after we said grace, we would go around the circle and say out loud those things we were grateful for. The young me always had the standard replies: “I’m grateful for my health.” “I’m thankful for my parents.” “I’m thankful to have all of the family under one roof for this holiday.” “I’m grateful for my 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit (diesel) that won’t go over 50 mph even if it’s being pushed by 60 mph winds.”

It wasn’t until I was older, say mid 30’s on, that I understood exactly what gratitude was all about and why I should be thankful for even the littlest things. Now, I’m grateful and thankful for everything…and happier because of it. Now, I can’t wait for my turn in the circle to tell everyone what I’m grateful and thankful for. My list is long!

It’s hard to explain why one should be thankful or how to feel grateful.  Here are a few quotes that sum up Thanksgiving very well.

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you have now was once among the things you only hoped for. ~ Epicurus

Be thankful for all the difficult people in your life and learn from them. They have shown you exactly who you do not want to be. ~ SimpleReminders.com

We don’t need more to be thankful for. We need to be more thankful. ~ Anonymous

I am thankful for my struggle because without it, I wouldn’t have stumbled upon my strength. ~ Alexandra Elle

You may not be where you want to be but you can look back and be thankful that you’re not where you used to be. ~ Joel Osteen

Gratitude requires awareness and effort not only to feel it but to express it. ~ Bonnie Parkin

Take time to be thankful for everything you have. You can always have more but you could also have less. ~ Anonymous

Enjoy the little things for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~ JopyfulScribblings.com

The more you thank life, the more life gives you to be thankful for. ~ GratitudeHabitat.com

Hospitality is simply love in action. It has much more to do with the resources of a generous heart than with sufficiency of food or space. ~ ReluctantEntertainer.com

From Family & MWR to your family and loved ones, have a wonderful and memorable Thanksgiving!