A Month of Gratitude

We are officially into the month of November, which boggles my mind for a number of reasons. It looks like my 2012 resolution will be much like the one I planned at the start of 2011...since, um, I haven't quite got around to doing that major clothes purge in my closet just yet.

So it goes.

At work this morning, I opened my email to find a note from a co-worker. She and her husband have decided, that instead of simply letting holiday stress overwhelm them, (as it has been known to do to many I imagine) they were going to focus on what this time of year - and Thanksgiving in particular - is truly all about. Each week for the month of November they are picking a new, local charity in need of supplies. My co-worker sends an email out to those of us on her co-worker list letting us know what items the charity is in need of. They're easy, inexpensive things that can make a world of difference like paper towels, coupons for pet food, toiletries for a woman's shelter, etc. Once she sends off her email, if we are willing and/or have items to donate? We drop them off at her desk during the week and she and her husband deliver them over the weekend. This week's charity is a local animal shelter. This idea struck me as utterly genius. It's so simple! It's local, it's genuine, it's easy and it is a reminder that every little bit counts.

Inspired by my friend's November notion of giving back - my donation pile for the animal shelter is already waiting patiently by my front door for tomorrow's commute into work - I'd like to work extra hard at remembering things I'm grateful for, reasons I'm thankful throughout the month. In years past I've kept a list of 100 things and on the whole I actually feel I'm pretty good about counting my blessings on a regular basis. I truly am so very fortunate and I hope to never, ever take that for granted. Still, it can do us all good to pause now and then, and reflect on all that is good, wonderful, special, and lucky in our lives. I imagine we all have more to be grateful for than we often even realize.