Whether you are celebrating this American holiday today or not, it’s an excellent time to pause and be thankful for the good in your life. Some families consistently express thanks by going around the dinner table with their daily gratitude, “Today, I am thankful for my teacher, Mrs. Smith.” Other families use visual tools like a ‘Grateful Jar.” When one of them feels particularly grateful for something that happened that day, they write it on paper and add it to the jar. The family then reads over those randomly across the year when they need to feel encouraged or re-focused. When we give thanks, we intentionally acknowledge the good of our experiences, even when life can be challenging and messy.
Parenting a Child Exposed to Trauma
Look for Joy to Find Thanks
No matter how you and your family give thanks, it’s an essential tool to support your mental and emotional health. Giving thanks for the beautiful things in your life – big and small – makes you pause and remember that there is joy even in the most challenging times your family can face. Sometimes, though, you have to look for it. Searching is worth it and renews your hope.
What small things can you do to help you pause and find that joy? When you see it, you can give thanks for it! Here are a few suggestions for how to start the search for joy:
How do you feel when you do something you love?
Does thrifting give you a thrill? Do you get a rush when you stand at the edge of a rushing creek and breathe in the cool, fresh air? Notice how that feels, and think about what else in your life summons those feelings.
Consider what makes you smile.
I love my collection of Tigger mugs. Almost every time I pick one up, I smile. (Yes, it’s also because it’s full of coffee! But Tigger makes me grin, too!) What makes you smile? Are you hooked on puppy videos or do laughing babies make you smile? Do you smile every time you pass the picture on the mantle of your family in elf hats? These are little windows into your heart of gratitude.
What makes you feel a sense of internal peace?
Walking in the quiet mornings through your neighborhood might be good for your body. But it could also be where you stake claim to a calm, regulated state to start your day. You might feel tremendous peace when you can sink into a bubble bath several nights a week. Feeling peace feels different to everyone, so define what that is for you and how you experience it.
Consider hunting for joy as self-care (bonus!). When you intentionally seek joy and can find it, you are fueling yourself, and those endorphins can flood your mind and body to feel better instantly!
Today I Give Thanks For…
We asked our online community what they are grateful for this year related to their adoptive, foster, or kinship care families. What a lovely list of responses we received! We are sharing them here today to encourage you and maybe even kickstart your own gratitude practice.
I’m thankful that I finally matched with a child and I now have an amazing 12yo son to celebrate the holidays with.
I’m thankful that I get to see my children growing up to be delightful human beings.
Thankful for the professionals who support our family and help us navigate complicated issues.
I am thankful for being mom to two young men who joined us 12 and 10 years ago through foster care. They are now adults.
I’m thankful for the professionals who helped us learn what a healthy open adoption looks like and how it benefits our son. He’s always our priority, and I’m thankful for anyone who helps us love him better, including his first Mama.
Thankful to have finalized our adoption of our teenage son & to have started the guardianship process of our teenage “niece.”
Thankful we finalized three adoptions this year and that we can maintain a wonderful relationship with the bio families of each!
I’m thankful that we have the joy of children home with us during the holiday season.
I am grateful for my communities where I can listen, learn and grow as a parent to the two kids I love so much.
I am thankful that adopting from another culture has perfectly completed our family. It’s been a great experience for our other three kids, too.
We are Grateful for YOU.
CreatingaFamily.org could not continue without the many folks who listen to our podcasts, read our articles, take our courses, and actively participate in our online community. So, this year, we want to express our thanks for and to you! Thank you for sharing our content, writing reviews, and jumping into lively conversations that stretch and grow us all. We are all the better for it.
Happy Thanksgiving!
From the team at CreatingaFamily.org
Image Credits: cottonbro studio; fauxels; August de Richelieu
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