This is the time of year when everyone starts doing those thankful journals and thankful photo challenges and thankful…whatever.
November is officially thankful month. I get that because of Thanksgiving falling in November it is a natural time to reset our self-centered hearts and turn towards an attitude of gratitude. My friend, Kim, actually declared it “Attitude of Gratitude Month” with her small group of high schoolers. During the time when they normally share the happies and crappies of the week they have decided that for this month they will only share crappies. It’s an effort to refocus. I get it. I love it.
I’m not feeling it.
Every so often I have a blanket of despair that falls over my head. I’m not sure where it comes from. I dabble in depression from time to time and I can’t ever be sure when it’s going to show up at my door. I jumped into crazy full on, head first for a time in my life and I hope and pray and work really hard to avoid the lake at that particular camp ground now. But I still dabble in the blues, as much as I try not to. I’ll be okay. I’m praying. I’m taking my vitamins. I’m getting rest. I’m exercising. I’ll be fine.
So here’s my thankful list this week. You may find it a little desperate and some may seem like a stretch but, when you are climbing out of a pit there is no branch too small to grasp on to.
- I am thankful this week that no one in my immediate family has a birthday that requires a party of 10 screaming girls.
- I am thankful this week that I can wear flip flops in November in Houston.
- I am grateful for air conditioning.
- And cheese. I’m glad that cheese exists.
- I am thankful that it is not Red Ribbon Week at school more than once a year and that I don’t have to come up with crazy creative ways to say no to drugs.
- I love the lava lamp on my desk and I’m thankful that someone donated it to children’s ministry at our church.
- I’m thankful for naps.