*A Whole Month of Gratitude

I love November.  Maybe it's because it's my birth month, and I feel so special all month long, but I do love November.  One thing I have looked forward to on Facebook is others' gratitude posts that occur during this time of year.  We all have so much for which to be thankful, and it seems a shame to only do it one month.

I could do it all year long.  I kind of do.  Sometimes I think it drives some people crazy.  I ooh and aah over every little delight.  

German chocolate thins, a gift from a new friend.

A nibble of chocolate.  The heat from my electric blanket as it radiates across the bed. A gentle rain on a metal roof. 

Pleasure can be derived from the most minute of details. Lichen on a rock.  A shared smile with a stranger.  The way a cloud is positioned in the sky.  Dew on a blade of grass. Hiking in the mountains or in the desert with the kids.

It's not always easy to be grateful.  Some days it would be easy to let pain dominate the day, or give in to a lingering mood.  There will always be challenges and setbacks, but if we allow ourselves to settle in to the moment, we will uncover the hidden gifts waiting to be found.

This month I plan to state the obvious (each and every loved one), and dig deep to find the little things that make my life feel like one big blessing. "Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November..." and this month, I plan to share my gratitude publicly every single day.  I hope you'll join me.