“Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.”
— John Henry Jowett
Hey everyone! Yes, it’s that time of year again. The time to be thankful for the many plates of delicious food. The trips to visit loved ones. The joy in preparing for such exciting and amazing gatherings…. Here’s a list of all the things I’m thankful for. Leave a comment about what makes you the most grateful!
1. Existence – If you woke up this morning, that is something to be incredibly thankful for. One of the miracles we most take for granted is life itself (our own lives and the lives of others). Just as much as I am thankful for the little life growing inside me, I am inexplicably grateful for the life I’m fortunate enough to live. Be happy you’re alive!
2. Health – Whether it’s that few extra pounds or the unhealthy meals we eat that get in the way, a lot of times we don’t recognize just how lucky, and how healthy we are. Most of us have all our limbs that function correctly, we don’t have any horrible illnesses. We are generally blessed to have a working vessel with which to conduct our lives, and that is such a wonderful thing!
3. Our Senses – How would we understand the world in which we live without the ability to smell freshly cut grass, listen to raindrops on our windows, feel the warmth of the rising summer sun enveloping our bodies, to taste that heaping pile of mom’s amazing turkey and stuffing…. We often don’t realize how amazing it is to be able to feel, taste, touch, smell, and hear. Imagine if we couldn’t!
4. Our Emotions – It is one thing to physically feel, but to be able to truly comprehend and develop our feelings is an even more amazing feat that humans have been able to master. I am so grateful to know what it means to love, to experience fear, to ache with sadness, and to relieve utter frustration… Emotions add such richness to our lives!
5. Technology and Medicine – We’ve all played Oregon Trail, or watched old movies or documentaries, and seen what conditions used to be like before the advancements we have now come to expect. Take a second and think about what life would be like without your smart phone, without a car, without immunizations, without a medicine cabinet and something as simple as cough medicine or ibuprofen, let alone the surgical and other medical advancements with which we are so truly blessed. It’s a pretty crazy thought!
6. Companionship – I am so grateful for the companionship of my loved ones and my friends. From having someone to keep you warm, to sharing a laugh, to getting angry and sharing the most intense emotions, close relationships allow you to live life to the fullest. I am especially thankful for my wonderful fiance and our little miracle on the way!
7. Parents and Family – Aside from the obvious fact that our existence is only possible because of our parents, we really wouldn’t have developed into the people we are today without their influence, guidance, and sacrifices. Our parents deserve so much gratitude for what they have done to ensure our success and happiness (and our safety!). Sometimes it takes a little growing up to fully realize just what our parents have done, and I am so thankful that I am getting to the point where I can appreciate them more than ever before.
8. The Universe – Our universe is so vast and expansive, so beautiful, and without it, life would not exist. We are star stuff, the compilation of billions of years of stardust on and beyond the perfect planet to sustain life. What we breathe, drink, eat, smell, taste, feel… Everything is a result of the flux of the magnificence of our unimaginable universe. Now that is something to be thankful for!
I hope you all have an amazing holiday season!
onesweetmamablog 