Giving Thanks

Today has been a day of deep thinking for me. I'm still trying to process and put into words what's going on in my head, so sorry if some of this doesn't make sense. I had a day full of things I adore: spending time with family, cooking and eating good food, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, playing board games and laughing until we cried, napping, not having to leave the house when the temperature has plummeted 40 degrees in the last 24 hours, and some time to myself relaxing after 3 long days of cooking. 


Of course, at Thanksgiving most of us try to stop and think about things we're thankful for, but I spent a lot of time today doing some deep thinking about living a life of thankfulness.


When I started my blog, my purpose was to create a space for me to be intentional about focusing on the good things in my life. I've been so overwhelmed in the last few months by the negativity that comes from everyone all the time. It's been so amazing just in the last few weeks to see how much my outlook on life has changed when I've been intentional about looking around throughout the day and thinking to myself "will this thing rank high enough on my list to be the thing I adore most today?" I'm spending my day looking for the good, the best, the things I adore about every day, rather than remembering something crappy that happened so I can go home and vent about it.


I'm realizing more and more that every day is going to have the things we don't like. It's a guarantee. If can assume that from now until I die there are going to be good and bad things every single day, then I can make a choice. I'm going to throw the bad things out the window. And more than that, I'm going to pursue thankfulness. 


I'm thankful that I have a family who loves me.
I'm thankful for my amazing roommates.
I'm thankful for a job I love where I can change lives and make kids think and learn and grow.
I'm thankful that tonight when I go to sleep tonight, I will be warm, safe, and have a roof over my head.
I'm thankful that the Creator of this universe loves tiny, insignificant me.


I know these all sound cliche, but sometimes those obvious things take on new meaning all of a sudden. As I'm writing this, Sarah McLachlan's Prayer of St. Francis came on my pandora station. Probably one of my favorite things ever, it seems such perfect timing, so I'll end with those words:



Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand; 
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.


Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.

Have something you adore? Leave a comment, or email adoretoday at gmail dot com.