I had an interesting thought earlier this month when I was thinking about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. We have a lot to be thankful for - both in our individual lives and as residents of this nation. I’m sure many of you can quickly list blessings - family, home, career, health. These naturally come to the top of many gratitude lists.
But what about the things we may take for granted that make our lives better? I had my own ideas on this - everything from clothes hangers to garbage collectors to TV remote controls! I decided to ask on my Facebook page - “What's one thing that you are grateful for that you might not normally think to thank?” The response was plentiful - with both sincere and playful answers. Here’s a sampling:
I’m grateful for grocery pickup! I can add stuff to my list all week long and not have to go into the store and buy things that I don’t need! It helps me to save money and time. Perfect for this mom of 4! - B.C.
I’m extremely grateful for positive, beautiful and giving souls who help others without wanting anything in return and who simply want to make our world a better place to live in. They look for the positives and keep things in perspective and help others to do so as well.
The givers warm the soul. - A.N.
I’m grateful for LEGOs. Doing LEGOs with my kids makes me wonder if life could be any better. - A.S.
I’m grateful for technology/internet or we wouldn’t be able to see or respond to this great post or stay in touch - R.W.
We had posts about socks, cars, butchers, books and the invention of paper diapers. We had an enthusiastic “WINE!” comment, as well as shout-outs to first responders and modern technology. Surprisingly, plumbing seemed to be a running theme (pun intended) in the responses.
Hot running water to wash hands and body in!! Soothes my soul!! - R.B.
I'm thankful for my big tub every night! - P.H.
Good septic tanks and the gentlemen who service them. Plumbing is amazing. Sewage treatment is such a wonderful thing. - D.G.
Water. We had a pipe burst and were without running water for two and a half days. Wake up call to how spoiled we are. I am thankful indeed!! - B.B.
I’m grateful for indoor plumbing. I don’t want to share more details - K.T.
Our team really enjoyed seeing the responses and hope that this helps everyone to be appreciative of all the conveniences we have. Remember, for every one of those conveniences, there are people who are working hard to make sure that the water runs, the groceries are stocked, and the texts to your loved ones go through.
Please be sure to show gratitude for those who make our lives better. Let them know that what they do matters to our community.
I encourage you to make your own list of normal, daily conveniences and be thankful for those blessings, big and small. Just asking the question “who do I not normally think to thank” gets your mind pondering all of the good things going on in our daily lives.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!