A Gratitude Thread

[just_lily]

This time of year there are always lots of threads around complaining about gifts. People don't get our kids the "right" kind of toys, try to feed us "unhealthy" food, and give us "ugly" things that just add to the clutter in our homes. I think we should all stop for a minute, and be grateful that we have anything at all.

I am grateful that we have a roof over our heads, and warm beds to sleep in. I am grateful that we have lots of family and friends that love and support our family, and our kid. I don't care how loud and obnoxious the toys she is about to receive are, we are just truly blessed to have people in our lives that will go out of their way and spend their hard-earned money on something to make her smile. I am grateful we have all kinds of good food to eat, and I don't care how bad for us it is, we are blessed to have any food at all. I am grateful that Jesus was born in a manger, and died for our sins on a cross.



This Christmas, instead of being annoyed by the people around you, choose joy. Be thankful that people love you, and love your children, even if they don't get you the "right" gift.

Anyone else feeling grateful and joyous today?

[AllyRae]

What an awesome thread!!!

I'm thankful that DH has a secure job, and prospects for an even better position. I'm thankful that we have 3 beautiful children. I'm thankful that we have a roof over our head, a warm place to live, and the freedom to choose to live our lives the way we feel fit. I'm thankful for the food we have and the fact we are fortunate enough to be able to choose to eat the way we do instead of having to scrape for whatever we can find. I'm thankful that we have thoughtful family members that love and respect our children and the way we've chosen to raise them. And I'm thankful to have found our son's autism therapist, who not only saved our son, but also our daughter.

[momasana]

Thank you for starting this thread!

I spent the whole morning cleaning my house, being truly thankful that I have a home, an able body with which to clean it, and a beautiful, loving family to keep safe inside.

[heather+mike2005]

What a wonderful thread! I am so grateful to have a fantastic, patient husband who supports me even though sometimes he doesn't always understand why I do what I do.

I'm also very grateful to be the proud mama of my ds who just turned one yesterday. He's truly the light in my life.

I'm blessed to have an awesome family, a roof over my head, food to eat and a job.

I truly do have a wonderful life!

[PreggieUBA2C]

While presently in the midst of another branch of the existential crisis that began shortly after I turned four (and hasn't let up and has yielded still more questions than answers), I have found that the gratitude I had previously for everyone and everything (even those that cause suffering) is re-illuminated to me now.

I am just in a perpetual state of awe that there is anything at all, let alone that we are all here to witness and participate in creating it.

What a trip.

I see everyone anew, and hope that others can too.

[karne]

Gratitude is the only word I can think of to describe how I was feeling when I tucked my kids into bed tonight. We are so blessed. Thank you for this thread.

[Belia]

I am so thankful for my beautiful, healthy baby boy and my sweet and gentle pup. Every day.

Oh yeah, and DH's not so bad, either!

[MichAnne]

what a great thread!

I am greatful to still be around to see my beautiful baby blossom into a beautiful child. I am thankful for the doctors that saved my life, and for the blood donors that donated their blood, or else i would not be here! I am thankful to have a loving, caring and wonderful husband, and thankful for the job that he has that allows us to live our life.

We have been through some hard times, but have stuck together through it all.

I may no longer have a uterus, but I have a wonderful daughter that is part of me and part of my husband. I am adopted, so i know the benefits of adoption. Its my goal when we get more financially stable to adopt a child who needs a warm and loving home.

I am thankful for life!

happy holidays!! <3

[sweetpeppers]

I feel so blessed to have my son, to have found MDC, to have made wonderful friends who are also gentle mothers, to have a wonderful family that loves me and my son, to have many toys that he can play with, to have so many presents that he had so much fun opening this morning, to be healthy and happy.

I was thinking the other day, while I was at the home I babysit at...that you don't realize how happy you really are until you are around people that are unhappy.

[starling&diesel]

I am grateful.
For my daughter: healthy, joyful, loving, bright, curious, a blessing.
For my partner: brave, strong, smart, funny, loving, frugal, and a great chef!
For my home: around the corner from my sister, and in a fabulous crunchy community!
For my health: Thank God.
For my job: as a paramedic, and for the ability to only work part time.
For my calling: writer, storyteller, artist.
For my family: near and far.

[Pavlovs]

So very grateful for my family, having a roof over our heads, food in the fridge, and clothes on our backs. I'm very thankful for my son's insulin pump and our family's overall health. And I'm grateful for each and every day I am able to enjoy my 5 month old son who is happy and healthy.

And I'm grateful that my arm isn't too sore from playing our new Wii all day yesterday.

[gcgirl]

How refreshing! I'm grateful for family members who want to be involved in our lives, for a DH who is healthy, happy, and employed, for a DS I can't imagine being any more perfect and an LO on the way, for living in a place where I have all the fresh water and healthy food I need, and for just getting up in the morning every day.

[AnnieNimIty]

What a great thread!

I am grateful for my family, immediate and extended.
I am also grateful for being well adjusted.
I am thankful for the innumerable blessings we have received, primarily my beautiful daughter and baby boy coming to us.

[Storm Bride]

I'm grateful that my sister was able to get a pass from the hospital (she's waiting for a surgery date for a triple bypass) and watch her children open some of their Christmas gifts, and join us for dinner last night.

I'm grateful that we, again, had a plentiful supply of good food for our family (of origin and immediate).

I'm grateful that the family drama was on hold last night, and everyone simply enjoyed themselves.

I'm grateful for four amazing children, who were an utter joy to be around all day yesterday, even allowing for a bit of a tired/wired meltdown in the afternoon.

I'm grateful that I got to see/hear dd1, ds2 and several cousins singing Christmas songs (with actions) as a group in the living room. My sister's kids are worried about their mom, and this group tends to do a lot of roughhousing, and one of them is a bit off in social situations - and they were having so much fun.

I'm grateful for an extended family who adore dd2, and the nieces and nephews who came around to just stare at her and say, "she's so cute".

I'm grateful that we all have our health, and intend to work hard to maintain it (my sister has given us a bit of a scare, after all). I've been a bit hard on my body since we had dd2, and I need to stop playing around.

I'm grateful for all the hard work (cooking, etc.) that mom put into hosting (again) a wonderful Christmas dinner for everyone...and I'm grateful that my dessert was so well received.

I'm grateful for the wonderful, well thought out gifts that everyone gave to my children. Some of them weren't things I'd personally have bought, but my kids loved them all. I'm also grateful that my mom gave our family a membership to the local aquarium. I'm thankful that my odd gifts (an ocarina for ds1 and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians for dh) were hits. I'm thankful that dh listened to my list of things I wanted...and that he actually bought me a wonderful gift that wasn't on my list.

Most of all, I'm thankful that my two boys agreed with dd1 last night, when she said, "this was the best Christmas ever". I think she might be right.

[MommyKelly]

What a wonderful thread!

I am so grateful for my wonderful Dh, and all 9 of our wonderful children.
I am grateful for a roof over our head, and food to put on our table.

I feel very blessed that we were able to have a wonderful quiet Christmas, and that my children lovingly opened each package and adored what was inside.

I am blessed with a teenage son, and 2 adult dd's who dont expect big exspensive gifts, and loved all the hand made stuff.

I am most thankful that we spent this Holiday focusing on what truly matters, the birth of our savior, and our love for each other.

[Bea]

I'm grateful and joyous right this second and for the next 30 minutes or so as my husband has taken the anklebiters out for a walk

Although the drier just buzzed and announced it's finished but I'm going to feign deafness.

[PoppyMama]

Well...to start off- I am grateful for this thread and grateful to the person who started it instead of doing what I did and just telling others how ungrateful they are.

I am grateful for my wonderful husband who loves us all and tries to be a better man everyday.

I am grateful for my children who I love more than life itself no matter how often they distress me.

I am grateful to my family. We are all so different but in the end we have each other and our tolerance for one another allows us to be different all together.

I am grateful for my warm apartment and my soft bed and the plentiful food we have to eat.

...and most of all I am grateful for life.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by just_lily

This Christmas, instead of being annoyed by the people around you, choose joy. Be thankful that people love you, and love your children, even if they don't get you the "right" gift.

Thank you for this. It can get depressing looking at all the thread titles (I don't even read them anymore) about what's making people UNhappy. It's nice to see a thread about what people are grateful and joyous about!!

We had a wonderful Christmas. My daughter couldn't stop saying "Santa is SO magical" and "I'm SO happy" that that right there made my year. We had a big huge meal that was so yummy, then we all sat around like lumps on logs and played some games.

My house looks like a bomb went off in it, and I still have a ton of dishes to do and stuff to put away, but it's all worth it and I wouldn't trade any of it for anything in the world. I'm grateful that I HAVE people in my life to help me make a mess. It would be awfully lonely without them!

I love Christmas. And I love my family.

[Drummer's Wife]

I am grateful to have read this thread

[IntuitiveJamie]

I am grateful for life and that I am here at this time experiencing it in every single way that I am.