![\"Gratitude\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Gratitude.jpg\")
<\/a>It’s getting to be that time of year … when we blow right past Thanksgiving<\/strong> and start hanging the Christmas or Hanukkah lights. Traditionally, of course, before Target and Walmart<\/strong> took over the holidays, Fall was a time for people to take stock of their lives<\/strong> and give thanks for their blessings. \u00a0A friend recently told me about a holiday tradition that I thought it was quite ingenious: \u00a0at every holiday dinner each person must say what they are grateful for, using the first letter to spell out the holiday. \u00a0So in other words, their dinner gets a lot colder at Thanksgiving than Easter. \u00a0I never was a faithful viewer of the “Oprah”<\/strong> show but watched it enough to know that she encourages people to keep a daily journal listing everything that they are grateful for that day. Heck, I can’t do anything every\u00a0<\/em>day except brush my teeth and eat, so keeping a Grateful Diary is out of the question. \u00a0The concept, however, is intriguing. So this week I decided to combine the two ideas and in that spirit create a\u00a0GRATITUDE<\/strong> list for the season.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
G – Girlfriends<\/strong>. \u00a0Where would I be without them? \u00a0Together we laugh, we cry, we hack our way around a golf course, and we create. \u00a0They are, in short, my sanity.<\/p>\n R – Relatives<\/strong>. \u00a0I have a wonderful family and I know I’m very lucky that we like and<\/em> love each other. \u00a0NOT ONCE \u00a0have \u00a0we had to have police intervention at a family gathering.<\/p>\n One of my more subdued girlfriends<\/p><\/div>\n A – Alan<\/strong>, my husband. \u00a0He gets me through good times and bad … and loves me even when I don’t have any make-up on.<\/p>\n T – Tea.<\/strong> \u00a0Sometimes there is just nothing like a good “cuppa” to get me through the day. \u00a0And since I discovered FOAM at Whole Foods, it’s even better with that piled on top.<\/p>\n I – Inspiration<\/strong>. \u00a0I am surrounded by very imaginative women who are artistic and talented in ways I never will be. \u00a0But they inspire me to improve whatever I am doing.<\/p>\n T – Time<\/strong>. \u00a0Somehow it seems I never have enough of it. \u00a0How did I ever work<\/em>? Now I love it when an appointment gets cancelled. \u00a0There is nothing like the gift of\u00a0TIME !<\/p>\n U – Unburdened.<\/strong> \u00a0As I’ve gotten older I no longer feel like I “have” to do stuff. \u00a0I now say “no” when I feel like it. \u00a0This is probably why older people are deemed “cranky”.<\/p>\n D – Dash the Wonder Dog<\/strong>. \u00a0Duh.<\/p>\n Dash, The Wonder Dog<\/p><\/div>\n E – Elusiveness<\/strong>. \u00a0I am a literal thinker (I’ve taken the test on Facebook to confirm this) but I love that big parts of my life are elusive. \u00a0When you think you no longer need to try new things – and fail – life becomes too predictable. \u00a0It’s always good to have something beyond your grasp – like losing 10 pounds.<\/p>\n That’s my list for this year. \u00a0Next year it could be something entirely different although I suspect that, with good behavior, \u00a0Alan and Dash will be on it. Although Dash really is the only “shoe-in”<\/strong>. \u00a0 \u00a0As word games go, I thought this was a good exercise to go through. \u00a0I may even try the holiday version for Thanksgiving (family members, be warned!). \u00a0I still don’t think I’ll ever be disciplined enough to do a daily Gratitude Diary<\/strong>, but it sure feels good to stop once in a while to take stock in all of the things, and especially the friends<\/strong>, that make life good.<\/p>\n Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving<\/strong>. \u00a0As for me? \u00a0I’m off to think of a word that starts with “T”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Suzanne Sparrow Watson It’s getting to be that time of year … when we blow right past Thanksgiving and start hanging the Christmas or Hanukkah lights. Traditionally, of course, before Target and Walmart took over the holidays, Fall was … read more<\/a><\/a>