Gratitude

By Alana Smith 

It’s November, y’all. One of my favorite times of year. 

The leaves are changing, and the Alabama humidity is in hibernation. The mornings are cool, and the coffee is hot. College football is in full swing, and it’s finally appropriate to eat soup and build a fire. The anticipation that Christmas is right around the corner—but it’s not so close that you feel overly frantic and need to shop and wrap all in a hurry. 

November is just a touch easier. Less yard work. Less pressure to exercise and diet. More time for movies and baking pies (if I baked pies). November is a month to prepare, really. And to be thankful. 

And this year, I want to focus on being more thankful. Intentionally thankful. It can be a challenge when the nightly news is frustrating and sad. And when everything is so dang expensive. Or when family gatherings loom and you know the air will be a little tense. This year, I’m choosing thankfulness despite all of that. 

I’m thankful for the breath in my lungs. For the health of my two boys. For a warm bed and lights and clean water to drink. For the Thanksgiving meal that awaits. For second chances and old friends and Starbucks.

When we are thankful for the big stuff—family, health, food—then it’s easier to see all the small things as blessings as well and to not take them for granted. I am less bothered by daily annoyances when I remind myself of how blessed I truly am. And in return, I am more hopeful for the future. I recently read that gratitude is an “affirmation of goodness,” meaning that life isn’t perfect, but finding the good and being thankful for it shows gratitude. And I think that gratitude leads to happiness. I’m no expert, but I bet it does. 

I hope your November is full of happiness, rest, and all the carbs. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Alana Smith is a boy mom (ages 9 and 4), nurse anesthetist, and writer in Birmingham. She shares her writing at Holy Moly Motherhood (on Facebook and Instagram), where she tackles all things motherhood and marriage.