“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,

Bright shiny kettles and warm woolen mittens,

Brown paper bags all tied up with a string;

These are a few of my favorite things.”  The Sound of Music

“Count your blessings name them one by one.

Count your blessings see what God has done.” 

Thanksgiving is a good time to consider our favorite things. What are yours?  If you were to write your own version of this song what would it include?    And what about your blessings?  Which ones are you counting?  And when was the last time you did so?

It is easy to be immersed in a spirit of negativity; of seeing the world, other people, and ourselves in a critical fashion.  It’s easy to be cynical, fearful, anxious, and have a
“chicken little” view of life—always thinking that the sky is falling.  I’ve been there and done that.

It’s much more difficult to be thankful, to foster an attitude of gratitude, to accentuate the positive, to see the grace and love of God everywhere, in everyone and everything.  It’s more difficult, but also healthier.  It requires intentionality—and maybe sometimes some anti-depressants.   It is a purposeful practice of daily counting blessings and searching for favorite things.

It begins before we even get out of bed.  Dr. Amit Sood suggests considering three things we are thankful for before our feet ever hit the ground.  My mom used to say “Every day God opens my eyes is a good day.”  The older I get the more I appreciate that.  So the first thing I am thankful for is opening my eyes to a new day. 

And then as we dress for the day we remember to put on a cloak of humility.  And perhaps we tell ourselves, “I’m going to accept this day, events, and other people, just as they are, and I’m going to do the same for myself.” This type of attitude reduces expectations which lead to disappointments, and instead sets the tone for thankfulness. 

Perhaps the next step is to shift our mind away from regretting the past or fearing the future and living in the moment.  If you want someone to teach you how to do this find a child; little children are experts at that. 

Living in the moment allows us the opportunity to appreciate what is by becoming detectives and looking closely at the “little things” in life that give us meaning, joy, and hope.  That’s what Maria is doing in the song “Favorite Things.”  It’s significant that she doesn’t name off the “big” things in life.  It’s the small things that make such a big difference!   As I write this I pause to give thanks for the warm cup of coffee, the beautiful Colorado sunrise, the farmers and ranchers that did the hard work to provide my food, the ability to walk and hike, the beauty of the snow that falls, and the love that surrounds me by family and friends like you.

Being grateful is not limited to one day out of the year.  It is an ongoing observation and celebration that we participate in and practice every day of our life.  And it makes a bigger difference in our lives–and the lives of others– than we can imagine.

Happy Thanksgiving

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and mor.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity . . .  it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates vision for tomorrow.”  Melody Beattie