Each year in November, I look forward to share about what I’m thankful for each day leading up to thanksgiving day, but this year was different and rather an uphill battle of being thankful. 2020 seemed to be more of a disappointing and depressing year. As November rolled around the corner, I really didn’t have a grateful heart and I struggled to think about what I’m grateful for.
Despite this year being difficult for my mental and emotional health, I realized that gratitude is a choice. I can allow all the disappointments and sadness overtake me as it has for the most part, but I decided that I didn’t want these disappointments to control my mental and emotional well being. Instead, I chose to be thankful and positive in November. By choosing gratitude, this meant that I had to put it into practice and take action, so I decided to try something new. I didn’t want to just think and list the things that I’m thankful for, but I wanted to actually appreciate people. My friends and family are the people who matter the most to me and the ones who are encouraging me to stay afloat in the midst of sheltering in place. Also, I desired to start a gratitude movement to help myself and others practice gratitude.
For my gratitude movement, I thought of a friend who needed extra encouragement each day and I wrote a note of appreciation to this friend. In the card, I wrote down something specific that I appreciated about that person, which included something this person kindly did for me or an attribute about that person. In the last paragraph of the letter, I told my friend to bless someone else by writing a thank you card. Along with my card, I included another blank thank you card with a stamp on its envelope, so my friend could easily practice gratitude. This exercise helped me to practice gratitude and do something meaningful for thanksgiving. I felt joyful and encouraged after writing a letter each day.
When some of my friends received the card, they thanked me through a text message. One friend in particular shared how she was extremely blessed by my card. Through a series of text messages, she shared how she had a long and tiring day taking care of sick loved ones. Then, she found my card in the mail and the words lifted her spirits. As a result, she told me how she planned to write a thank you card to that friend that she was taking care of and encourage her. That touched my heart of how blessed she was through a simple thank you card.
I wished COVID-19 didn’t exist so I could physically visit my friends in person to tell them my appreciation. Though I cannot do that due to COVID-19 restrictions or change the way things are these days, I learned that I can change my attitude and perspective. I’m most thankful that I changed my attitude and chose to practice gratitude. Together, let’s spread gratitude!
