Teaching Thankfulness


It's November, and I've noticed on Facebook and Blogs, many expressing Thankfulness and Gratitude in posts and status updates. So, I started to think about the things I'm Thankful for, and also how to teach my girls that same thing. I decided, that as a family we could use our dinner time as an opportunity to learn about and express what we are thankful for and I would write it down in the journal that I keep and put it in a "Thankful Jar".

I also decided, I would use my Blog as an opportunity to share what I am Thankful for- and in doing so, I hope to change my heart and my mindset.

There are the obvious things- but also the most important things- that I am Thankful for. My family, my Parents, my Sister and Brothers and their Husband/Wives, my nieces and nephew, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.

Then of course, I am Thankful for my incredible Husband, Lupe, and my beautiful Daughters, Tenly and Gianna.

It is so easy to take family for granted sometimes. We often take our frustrations, bad moods, inadequacies, failures, tiredness, moodiness out on our families....the very people who love us most. It seems as if that is why we take our "stuff" out on them for that very reason- because we love them and they love us so much. I mean, they have to love us regardless of what we do/say/act, because they are family. But, that doesn't mean that we still have scard them with our words/actions/emotions.

I was watching Oprah's new show on the OWN Network last night (that's right, I watched Oprah- and learned something- don't judge me!!), and she was reflecting back on a show that she did with Toni Morrison. Toni Morrison was explaining about a life changing moment she had with her children. She was speaking of how she reacted when her children entered the room- she explained how often she was telling them to do something, change something, clean something, complete something. Then, one day she had the realization that she was lacking to celebrate them and was beginning to see a look of sadness/frustration on their faces because they were not being celebrated/validated.

It seems like such a simple thing- and really, it is! So, I know I'm not the only one who finds myself doing the very thing that Toni Morrison found herself doing. Not that our kids do not need to be reminded to do/clean/change/complete things- but can we at least celebrate them before we give them a list of instructions.

So, in being Thankful for my family, I find myself challenged to celebrate not only my children- but all of them! I'm doing this for myself- but also for my girls- I want to teach them how to appreciate their family and to celebrate them- the ones we see frequently and the ones we seldom see.