Being Thankful Makes Me Happy
It seems like we go straight from Halloween to Christmas, but we miss something very important when we do. We miss Thanksgiving. An entire day dedicated to being thankful. These days it seems like people really aren't very grateful for what they have. Everyone wants more. Bigger. Better. Newer. Things that are "essential" to our lives. Everyone feels entitled to everything. Kids are really bad at that. They expect things. When we say "no" we are being mean and unfair to what they "need" to have. Let's think about that for a minute. What do we really need. Shelter, food, and love are the only things that I consider essentials. We don't have to have much more.
My son has been living in Africa for about 2 years. It has made him see how very materialistic that we are. In Ethiopia people are grateful for everything that they have. He sent me a picture of the happiest boy who was running up and down a dirt street with a stick and a plastic bag. He didn't care that he didn't even have a "real" toy. It was a real toy to him and he was beaming the biggest smile while he played with it. How many of us would be content with a plastic bag and a stick to play with? I dare say that none of us would. But we all have so much more than that. Entire rooms full of toys. Are we content? Do we need more? Why is it that those who have the least are usually the most thankful?
For some reason we also forget to say thank you. To be grateful for all that we have even when we don't have as much as others. Being grateful is a skill. Being thankful is a state of mind. I have been thinking alot about this lately and have been trying to be thankful. I say thank you and have taught my kids to do the same. We have to be thankful no matter what our circumstances are. We can find things to be grateful for everyday and that makes me happy.
My son has been living in Africa for about 2 years. It has made him see how very materialistic that we are. In Ethiopia people are grateful for everything that they have. He sent me a picture of the happiest boy who was running up and down a dirt street with a stick and a plastic bag. He didn't care that he didn't even have a "real" toy. It was a real toy to him and he was beaming the biggest smile while he played with it. How many of us would be content with a plastic bag and a stick to play with? I dare say that none of us would. But we all have so much more than that. Entire rooms full of toys. Are we content? Do we need more? Why is it that those who have the least are usually the most thankful?
For some reason we also forget to say thank you. To be grateful for all that we have even when we don't have as much as others. Being grateful is a skill. Being thankful is a state of mind. I have been thinking alot about this lately and have been trying to be thankful. I say thank you and have taught my kids to do the same. We have to be thankful no matter what our circumstances are. We can find things to be grateful for everyday and that makes me happy.
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