Returning to gratitude

Gratitude is essential for us to be thankful, appreciative, and mindful of all the blessings that are bestowed upon us. Sometimes we can take things for granted that appear to be small, but when you truly reflect on them, they hold tremendous value. Especially the things that do not cost money, yet provide us with health, innate resources, and overlooked talents or abilities that formulate our lives.

These thoughts are on my mind today because I have been reflecting on habits we practiced daily when I was a child, such as blessing our food before every meal or simply gathering with the entire family at the dining room table. I remember learning prayers that were used to give thanks for everything we could think of that the Creator had allowed or placed in our lives. That simple ritual created a powerful foundation and established a pattern of appreciation that felt grounding and sincere.

I wanted to share these impressions, especially those moments when we begin something meaningful but later drift away from it. I am aware that I have not consistently said grace as my family once taught me, yet I am making a conscious effort to restore this habit of gratitude. Even recalling times when someone may look at you differently for praying over your food in public reminds me that perspective matters.

Understanding that we all have different cultures, practices, and worldviews allows me to observe without offense and instead consider another vantage point. In this season of life, gratitude can be enormously impactful and a powerful discipline to live by. Teaching this to our youth, explaining the benefits, and allowing blessings to flow more freely in our lives is something I am centering my attention on today.

There are moments when we must pause and objectively evaluate our lives, recognizing the practices we have moved away from that may deserve to be restored. I am even thankful that these reflections surfaced in my awareness this morning. I appreciate the opportunity to share them and offer insights shaped by family traditions and lived experience.

Let us choose gratitude today and every day. Let us acknowledge the gifts we may have overlooked and recognize how blessed we truly are in each moment we are granted the opportunity to experience this extraordinary gift called life.