Give Thanks

When I got married, a kind old widower from our church, Mr. Stroup, gave us some wonderful advice. He said, "Thank each other every day for the little things you each do." Robi and I made a point to follow that advice, and I really do think it's made a difference for our relationship, to feel appreciated each day. (By the way, I recently stumbled upon a neat article about how daily gratitude can improve marriage relationships). Old Mr. Stroup was right!

But the interesting thing is, that it's not just being appreciated that's the key here. Just expressing gratitude can lead to increased happiness. This is why gratitude journals are so useful for boosting happiness, and why some doctors recommend that their cancer patients keep gratitude journals, as well.

So, along that vein, and because it's November, I'm going to start a month long gratitude journal. I won't bore you with it all month, but here's my first entry.

Today, I'm thankful for:

vibrant fall leaves
conversation with a good friend
a job that I love
a sweet and healthy child
frozen spaghetti sauce and fast yummy dinners
a husband who asks about my day each day




What are you thankful for today?