By Shellie Miller Farrugia
Through the limitless variety of life stages each of us experiences, an invisible thread of connection remains for our reflection and thanksgiving. Despite not being thankful for everything that’s occurred in my family’s life and my own, I brazenly admit that a few things beginning as regretful have turned into some of life’s most abundant blessings.
As a child, the directive at our Thanksgiving dinner was to name what we were grateful for. For sure my earliest musings were probably, “Mommy, Daddy, my dog, my bike.” For many youngsters with those four things, these were likely to be common responses. Fast forward to our early parenthood years and our littlest sons listed things like “Football, Nintendo and Nanny (who had a bottomless cookie jar).” Today, our youngest son is 25, and at the top of his list at the age of 19, were “Job opportunities, financial stability and the impact my parents have had in my life.” I promise that he was not compensated for that statement. Today he is a Marine Science Technician in the Coast Guard, and the three things he is most grateful for are, “ God, family, and freedom.” As we age, our priorities change, and my belief is that we tend to look more closely at our surroundings than ourselves.
And then we older adults are all grown up and what we are grateful for morphs into things we’d have never considered in our youth: “Dad’s PET scan was clean, finding my biological brother through a DNA test changed our lives, our army son is home safely from deployment.” Each one of those points of gratitude undoubtedly began with times of angst and uncertainty. And what gainfully employed, successful American would list, “a real shower” as something they are grateful for? Someone like my firefighter friend who spent 9 days helping hurricane victims, and returned home intent on an uninterrupted bathing.
So I challenge you today… What are you truly thankful for? Take away the stuff; the brand new car, the designer handbags, and the refreshing spa day. If you are able to enjoy a day without pain, be thankful for your health. If you have friends, or just one friend, who are/is there no matter what, be grateful for their presence. If you have a partner that has stayed by your side through sickness and health, despite the bumps and bruises, tell them today how valuable they are to you. If you have a child that is uncertain, lacks confidence, or seems lost, let them know that they are a light in your life and how much you value them. Reminding anyone of their importance is something that they, in turn, can be grateful for. Share your gift of gratitude with others. You will certainly receive the same, or more, in return.