Seven Gifts to be Truly Thankful For
Ahh, gifts. Lots of gifts being purchased this week—submerging a celebration of gratefulness under sales notifications and dollar signs. Step away from the shopping, the baking, and the decorating for a moment.
Walk with me through a week’s worth of gifts I’d like to share with you. The kind that can’t be wrapped in fancy packages, or ordered from Amazon. The kind that are truly worth celebrating. And re-gifting. And sharing. All week long.
Day 1—Heritage
For the roots and branches of a family that held me safe and loved as a child, I will be forever grateful. Although family trees tend to have broken branches and scars, mine offered shelter and adventure.
It’s the foundation from which I have grown.
My heritage is...
the guidance of both parents
the companionship of my siblings
the smiles of aunts and uncles
It feels like…
the friendship of cousins
the sweet, soft hugs of grandmothers and
the grip of my grandfathers’ hands
For all the things I’ve learned from each of them, all the times we’ve shared, and all the love they offer, I am grateful. May the best parts of your heritage fill your heart with thanksgiving.
This day, celebrate heritage.
Day 2—Home
It’s more than the house where we dwell, it’s the hearthside where a family gathers in the glow of the fire. It holds peace and chaos and tears and laughter and memories.
It smells like...
bread baking
a fresh cup of coffee
my husband’s shaving cream
It feels like…
a haven away from the world and all its troubles
a sanctuary where we rest…and play…and pray
a favorite song
It’s what we hold in trust for our grandchildren and the babies yet to come. It’s what wraps around my grown kids when they walk through the door for the holidays, arms laden with suitcases and their own children, faces lit with smiles.
Today, be thankful for home.
Day 3—Hospitality
It’s what the holidays are really all about. (Besides the whipped cream.) It’s the gift that, when offered to others, actually blesses the giver more than the ones who receive it.
It looks like…
using all the leaves in the table
setting up another table when more people come
pulling out the piano bench because there aren’t enough chairs
It feels like…
clean towels
beds on the floor
arms thrown wide in welcome when the doorbell rings
It is sharing a meal together. But open doors and refrigerators aren’t the core of hospitality.
Hospitality is the open space in a heart to welcome those we know,
and those we don’t.
Today, celebrate welcome.
Day 4—Heirs
…the ones who will inherit the world we leave. The children. I am so very grateful for the people they are. For the promise they hold and the trust they’ve placed in us. They embody our dreams for the future.
They bring us…
hugs
friendship
hope
It sounds like…
giggles
honesty
questions
There’s a place in my heart for each child I’ve taught, or cared for, or known, and all the ones I haven’t had the chance to. It glows.
This day, celebrate all the children.
Day 5—Hilarity
The gift of laughter. Such a simple thing to be grateful for. But hilarity is laughter on a deeper level. It’s the ability to lose oneself in it. It’s one of the things family taught me, and something I share with my closest friends.
It looks like…
open-mouthed
red-faced
real
It feels like…
tears running down your face
sore abs
belly-deep
It’s more fun than an amusement park, more cleansing than confession, and more contagious than a virus. It heals hearts, wounds, and discord.
Today, be grateful for a sense of humor.
Day 6—Hands
…the symbol of work. The honest activity that gives purpose to our days, rewarding us with a sense of pride and satisfaction. It’s not always the same as a job. It is meaningful labor, the kind that benefits us, our family, or someone or something else.
It looks like…
fixing the leaky faucet
straightening the handlebars on a child’s bike
picking up the trash in your neighborhood
It sounds like…
a hammer pounding on a Habitat house
a tractor starting up at daybreak
teaching a child how to work beside you
It’s what it takes to keep a world in motion, and fed, and healthy. It’s what we need to help us sleep, help us think, help us create.
Today, be grateful for honest work.
Day 7—Hope
…is the gift of the sunrise. A new day, a new hour, a new minute. The gift of hope is what keeps us going when the days are dark with sorrow and defeat and disappointment.
It looks like...
a small speck of light in the middle of the night
a wink across the room
a nurse’s smile of reassurance
It feels like...
getting down to the last payment
glimpsing the finish line
a new neighbor moving in next door
Hope is what we have stepping into tomorrow. It’s the faith in who you can become as a person, what we as people can work towards as a society, what we can instill in our children. It’s what keeps us working to make the world a better place, one family, one day, one meal, one gift at a time.
Today, be thankful for hope.
And then spread it.
Recognize any of these as your own? Maybe yours are different. In any case,
I hope you find many things to be grateful for this week—and every week.
Want to share your gratitude list? Use the comments box.
