30 Days, 30 Ways to say “Thank You.” (Need Help Finishin

CoryIda

I have been doing this thing on Facebook where I post something I am thankful for each day in November. Today was a big one for me:

“Today I am thankful for my husband's health. Two years ago this Thanksgiving he was in the hospital due to severe pain caused by a large tumor on the lymph node in his neck (he had lymphoma). It took 6 months of chemo and a lot of prayers and support, but he has been healthy and cancer-free for a year and a half now. Definitely something to be thankful for.”

I will continue to do this, but I was thinking that it would be even better to think of a new way to express my gratitude for each day of the month. Here is my first 5 items, but I need some help coming up with more! Can you help me????

1) Thank God for keeping you and your family safe throughout the night. To better express you gratitude, make sure you take the time to spend some one-on-one time with God each day – whether it is singing praise to Him in the car, praying before you get out of bed, or sharing your faith with someone else.

2) Tell your spouse/significant other something specific that you are grateful for them. For my husband, I am incredibly grateful for many things – his patience with me and my inconsistent moods (I’m bi-polar), his love for our son (Danny isn’t Eli’s biological child, but Danny loves Eli as if they shared the same blood and is a terrific father), and his tremendous heart for God.

3) Send a thoughtful card to your parents/relatives who you don’t see often. My dad lives on the other side of the country and we don’t have a great relationship, but I know that I can look beyond our differences and express my gratitude for his generosity and for how he loves my son. I should also send my sister and her hubby and kids a Thanksgiving card and include an encouraging note as I know they have had a very difficult year with their move across the country, new jobs, difficult financial situation, etc.

4) Do something thoughtful for your closest friends to express your gratitude for your relationship. I will make some healthy gluten free banana bread for my friend Amanda, who has Celiac disease and is also very overweight. Her love language (how she feels loved/appreciated) is gifts, so I know she will appreciate something that took time and effort as well as took into account her health needs. I will also do something for the Ayalas, who are great friends of my family. I am not sure what yet, but it may be as simple as offering to babysit their daughter or possibly providing a meal for them.

5) Donate or volunteer for a charity. If you are struggling financially, volunteer at a food bank or homeless shelter on your day off. If you are have a little to spare, donate to a charity of your choice. There are a lot of fabulous programs available. My favorite is Hope Worldwide, which my church supports and is a 5 star charity (more than 90% of donations go directly to fund programs – not administrative fees). I donate every November and love to see what they are doing – building a children’s home and a maternity ward in Afghanistan, founding a school in Haiti, adopting a town to rebuild after Katrina, founding a leper colony in India, etc. When I give, I am expressing my gratitude for the gifts I have been given.

CoryIda

I thought of another one!

6) Take time to really encourage your MFP friends. We are all working really hard and we should reach out and make sure we are supporting, lifting up, and encouraging one another!

Dafrog

We do this at Thanksgiving. On the bar are portraits of love ones who are no longer with us. Right before we eat, candles are lit in their memory.

mommared53

How about your boss for giving you a job, your real estate person or landlord depending on whether you rent or own your home, your pastor if you have a church home, babysitter if you have one, maybe co-workers, hospital workers who cared for your husband.

Hope some of these help. I know there are so many things that I thank God for. Just little things like my bed, my pillow, my blankets that keep we warm at night, my legs and feet that enable me to walk the approximately 15 minutes to get to and from work and the train station just to name a few. I also make a point of always thanking the bus drivers because I don't drive so I take the bus or train or walk everywhere I need to go.

Great post. Thanks posting. :flowerforyou:

Thought of some others. The grocery bagger at the grocery store, people at the checkouts, bank tellers, sales associates, etc.