Being Thankful

I was going to post about all the things I am thankful for this year. But as I was thinking about my list I realized that telling other people what I’m thankful for aka lucky enough to have kind of sounds like bragging. So instead I thought we could all take some time to think about ways we can help those less fortunate who might not have much of anything to be thankful for.

Obviously in this house we are huge animal lovers. And it breaks my heart every time I see an adoption event at a local pet store because I just want to take all those homeless dogs and cats with me. I keep telling myself that they will all eventually find loving homes but sadly this is not true. We are not in a position to adopt any more animals right now but we can still help by donating to rescue centers and purchasing Christmas gifts where a portion of the proceeds go to a noble cause for animals. Some stores also have programs where you can purchase extra supplies during checkout to donate. We do this every year.

Giving trees are everywhere this time of year with tags for children and families who could never even dream of what we have. I like to pick a few off our tree at work and have the best time picking out gifts for each person and adding in some extra goodies. My mom has always done this and had us help pick out the gifts when we were younger and it’s something that has stuck with me.

There are million ways to give back to your local community or donate time, money or services to a bigger cause. Whether your soft spot is homeless pets, orphan children or the elderly, there is always something you can do. We have to remember not to take our privileges for granted. Everyone is fighting some kind of battle so it’s important to be kind and to be thankful for those battles that we ourselves are not currently facing.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your loved ones.