Warmly and with gratitude,

Practicing thankfulness with family and friends as a collective, sharing food, laughs, and memories each Thanksgiving, and marking another year of blessings and thankfulness can be humbling and joyous. There are no shortage of things to be grateful for, like our loved ones, health, jobs, our homes, food, and all the extras we are fortunate to have.

But what if real gratitude goes beyond being thankful for just these things but goes deeper. Deeper, into the practice of intentional gratitude that one shows each day? Practiced with the intent of bringing more joy and happiness into life.

Not only can a grateful practice increase one's happiness, but it can also improve physical, mental, and relational health! Practicing gratitude is a holistic approach to thankfulness that brings a conscious effort into noticing the small things in life. 'Taking the time to smell the roses', noticing the warm breeze on your cheek, the birds chirping, the smell of your favorite candle, or the smile of a stranger. It's all in the noticing!

Being grateful can mean that we have connected with something on a deeper level. It means that we have attached ourselves, by being aware, taking time, sitting in the moment, and allowing a feeling of warmth and kindness to embody us, even for a moment.

I wrote this a few weeks back and wanted to share what gratitude means to me these days. Please know how thankful I am, thankful for each of you, and for the love and kindness I have been shown now and throughout the years. XXX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek19BGhD8Mo

“Being grateful does not mean that everything is necessarily good. It just means that you can accept it as a gift.” ― Roy T. Bennett