A Thankful and Giving November

Nov 18, 20233 min read

Thanksgiving:

A holiday centered around food and family, two of the upmost important things in my life! Ha! Ha! Of course, we think of turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and let’s not forget the real MVP, the pumpkin pie! Thanksgiving is a time to give, a time to love, and a time to reflect on the things that matter most in life. So, this year, I am choosing to reflect on ALL those things I have to be truly thankful for and reminding myself to give in gratitude. It has been a rollercoaster of a year for my family. But it has also enriched our relationships with each other and strengthened our faith. Often times we tend to get caught up in wishing for all the things that we do not have. This past year specifically has been a lesson in changing that mindset. If we focus on what we don’t have, we will never have enough, but being able to be thankful for what we already have has wound up giving us more! “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, and a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates vision for tomorrow” – Melody Beattie I feel so strongly that there is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others. With that in mind, we have chosen to celebrate this holiday season with a thankful, giving, and impactful November! Together, as a family, we created our own list of 30 ways to give back to others. Small tokens of appreciation and random acts of kindness are a simple, yet meaningful way to engage our thankfulness. There is a quote I love from President JFK- “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” It is such a profound statement, and a notion I am trying to instill in my children as they are growing into strong, vibrant young ladies. Below, you will find a list of our creative ideas to give and serve others. I encourage all of you readers to join us! Create your own list! Or simply use this time to have a meaningful conversation about sincere thankfulness and gratitude. Wishing you all a thankful, grateful, and blessed Thanksgiving!