It's Time to Start a New Calendar with Gratitude Days

By Sandy Schroeder

I am thinking of creating a new calendar for the New Year. It is going to be filled with Gratitude Days. There will be a Gratitude Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If that sounds a little excessive to you, I would ask you to think about the past week to see if you can come up with seven things that you are grateful for.

Some weeks I am hard pressed to do that when the plumbing has gone awry, it's raining again, and I have the flu. But then all of that floats away. The sun comes out, and I look around to see my cat stalking his favorite catnip mouse, and I hear the birds chirping through the trees. Yes, I probably can come up with seven good things that make life really OK.

My OK Calendar

In a turbulent world, where people of all shapes and sizes are struggling very hard just to survive, I definitely think most of us have a few blessings to count. So I am going ahead to make that calendar.

Gratitude Monday - Will find me smiling to lead off the week with a smile instead of my usual muttering because most of my disasters are very small.

Gratitude Tuesday - Will find me actually on my treadmill being grateful that I can walk by choice, not by necessity.

Gratitude Wednesday - Will find me cooking one-pot pasta with fresh cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil and onion because I can, in contrast to people who will simply be thankful to have something to eat.

Gratitude Thursday - Will find me donating to one of the many relief stations helping the victims of fire, earthquake or flood, and being very thankful that I have a safe, secure place to live.

Gratitude Friday - Will find me wrapping up the week watching an NBA game because I can, and taking time to send donations to those who have lost everything in one of the world's many disasters.

Gratitude Saturday - Will find me surveying weather across the country and saluting the resilience of the many people who simply keep going in spite of snowstorms and horrendous icy rains that dare them to survive.

Gratitude Sunday - Will find me pausing to look back over the week and shake my head a little as I realize how much most of us take for granted. Warm, safe, dry homes, good weather, fridges full of food, and contented pets all come to mind as gifts of a good life. Take a look around and then consider creating a gratitude calendar at your house. I know you have the right ingredients.

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