Trying not to be Cliche...

Sometimes I think Thanksgiving is cliche. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love it... but I just feel like it's hard to be sincere in showing gratitude, when everyone else is doing it, and they are doing it just because the holiday is called Thanksgiving. So I'm not hating on Thanksgiving, because it's good for people to recognize their many blessings and I'm sure most people really do mean it... what I'm really trying to say is, I wish the true feeling of gratitude could stay with us all year 'round and not just make an appearance in November.

Anyways, Christopher and I gave talks in church today about gratitude and I wrote a poem for mine, so I think I'll share it :)


It's Easy to Be Thankful

We’re gathered ‘round the table, my mom scoots in her chair

“What are you thankful for?” She asks us all to share

As I sit and ponder, my niece stands up with glee

“I’m thankful for my sister, she shares her toys with me!”

I smile and agree, I love my sister too

I always could rely on her to help me make it through

Then I hug my husband, who has changed my life

“I’m so very thankful that I get to be his wife.”

Also for my parents, they’ve done so much for me

Inspiring and helping me be all that I can be.

We go around the table, each one takes a turn

And as I listen closely, I find something to learn

It’s easy to be grateful, on Thanksgiving Day

Food, love, family, are all things we can say

But truly being grateful, isn’t just about the word

The deepest form of gratitude is actually unheard

A grateful son is helpful, as he cleans the kitchen table

Thank you is an extra hand, when someone is unable

Appreciating what we have, not always wanting more

Praying down upon our knees, sharing all we’re thankful for

It’s easy to be grateful, when everything is right

But when times are difficult, we quickly can lose sight

With focus on the bad, we cannot travel far

Lost and wandering, we forget how lucky we are

The spirit of gratitude, will help us rise above

And by striving to be grateful, we will recognize God’s love

The lesson that I learned, on this Thanksgiving night

Helped me to be thankful, in a new and different light

Gratitude is not just a list, or a Hallmark Thank You card

It’s being grateful every day, even when life gets hard

Side Note: After the past two Thanksgivings with friends (which were great) I finally got to spend the day with my family! My brother moved to Provo so we were able to drive down for the day. It was fun to be with my nieces and nephews. As usual, the pumpkin roll was my #1 favorite and the turkey was obviously delicious too. While at his house, we found some Black Friday ads: Band Hero for the Wii only $75! (normally $180) We couldn't pass up this deal so we ended up buying 2, sold one for $150 and in essence, got ours for free. It was a great day! And to make the weekend even better, I saw my friend Chantelle and her sister in Salt Lake. We were friends in high school so they made me feel a little closer to Ohio :)