I hate to start the week off on a sour note, but I’m not having a good Monday. I’m having the worst bought of PMS in my life. My son is sick for the second time this month, and he gets asthma when he’s sick, so it’s an added worry for me. I’d like nothing more than to huddle under the blankets with him today, but I have deadlines to meet. Working when my kids are sick is still a foreign concept to me, and just feels wrong.
And yet, this is the week of Thanksgiving, for those of us living in the US. I’ve been thinking about being thankful a lot lately. It’s something I see lacking in our family. Not that we aren’t courteous, we say “thank you.” But so often if my kids don’t get exactly what they want their attitude stinks. If things aren’t going their way, they aren’t able to see the positive side of things. Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and I can tell you this is a trait that my husband and I need to model a lot better.
I think a huge part of the solution could be reflecting on how lucky we are. I have an empty bin that used to have pretzels in it. I haven’t recycled it yet, because I’ve been toying with the idea of using it as a Thankful Box this year. Whenever we’re thankful for something, we could write it on a slip of paper, and stick it in the bin, and then the week of Thanksgiving next year we could read about all the things that we were thankful for. I’ve been meaning to do it for years, so maybe this year, I will.
I can start today.
- I’m thankful that no one in our family has a debilitating or chronic illness, and that most of the time we’re all very healthy.
- I’m thankful that I have the luxury of working at home.
- I’m thankful that we have a toasty-warm house, and plenty of Spongebob on the Tivo.
- I’m thankful that PMS is temporary, and that I only have to feel overwhelmed and cranky a few days out of the month.
- I’m thankful that even though this bought of PMS is bad, my monthly symptoms are pretty mild compared to some women I know.
- I’m thankful I never get migraines.
- I’m thankful that my kids get 3 days off school this week.
What are you thankful for, on this Monday before Thanksgiving?
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I think the Thankful Box sounds like a great idea. I agree that it can be so easy to get caught up in what’s NOT right that we forget to take a few minutes to appreciate what IS…and I’m working on being better about that, too. Happy Thanksgiving!
Florinda | November 19th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
I’m thankful, too, for little things that aren’t perhaps so little. Despite having a nasty knock-me-out cold virus, a backache that isn’t responding to PT, and guests for Thanksgiving, I’m grateful that my guests are all pitching in to make the big meal, and my husband is a capable and willing cook.
Daisy | November 21st, 2007 at 10:59 pm
I love the idea of a Thankful box!! You should date them, maybe, too, and then put them all in a scrapbook at the end of the year. what a great keepsake that would make!
lizardek | November 22nd, 2007 at 6:11 pm