A few years ago I decided that we would start our own tradition, a month of thanks. Each day of November we pick a person to write a thank you card to. Yes I’m thankful for rainy days and family time. I’m not blessing that rainy day by enjoying it, it blesses me. I want to teach my girls and myself to appreciate the people around us. What a gift to receive a hand written card from someone? How special to feel seen and appreciated? There are so many family traditions out there that install greed instead of gratitude. I wanted one that honestly brought joy to us and the people around us. I wanted a tradition that blessed our souls. Feeling unappreciated and invisible is a horrible feeling. It ruins friendships and marriages. So many people hate their jobs because of it.
The older I get the more I dislike the traditional holidays. I’ve noticed my kids become greedy and entitled. It’s not enjoyable to watch them open a gift. Look at it for a second. Then throw it to the side to open another. Then to hear the whines of, “that is it?” My family needs a reminder of what truly matters. It’s the people around us that matter most not the things.
Don’t get me wrong, there will still be gifts to unwrap at Christmas. We will still talk about what we are grateful for at thanksgiving dinner. Tonight we are painting pumpkins and decorating Halloween cookies. November will still be my favorite tradition. November will still be our family’s reminder of what truly matters in life.
So this month we will be thanking our bus driver, who keeps our girls safe and greets them everyday with a smile. We will be thanking our mailman for putting up with our crazy dogs. We will deliver muffins to the school for all the loving office workers. Ding dong ditch balloons to our friends. This month we will focus on loving and appreciating the individuals who help our world keep moving and bless our lives everyday.
