The car that parked too close, and you can't get your kids in the back seat. My son, spilling granola all over the freshly washed floor. Milk in the couch (again)... you get the idea.
Thankfully, it's also easy for me to be thankful. A long list readily comes to mind. In my head, and when I remember, I am deeply thankful for my family. I know our life is a blessing. Two healthy kids, love from an amazing daddy, parents that support each other and grow together. Beautiful home, nice things, really great friends. Not everything is roses, but I can put those things into perspective. It does not escape me that my life is good.
...That's a start. Thankfulness can come off shared on social media as a time to show off how great our lives are. Truly I am sure our hearts are bursting with greatness we yearn to share, but it gets me thinking. Why do we do this, if we aren't actually DOING anything at all?
Lately, in so many situations, I've felt compelled to *do* something. We are lucky. We are happy. We are healthy. I really don't have anything to complain about, except for small moments (that keep me balanced and based in reality). I have faced tough times, so I can recognize the good. That said, sometimes being thankful feels like a bit of a cop-out. If we are so lucky, what are we doing to help others who aren't so happy or healthy or thankful?
Coincidentally, well after contemplating this post, these words were posted by a friend on Facebook:
I need to find a way to act on more of these moments. Picture this. Driving to drop off my son at preschool, I drive by the same group of people standing outside the pharmacy in the AM, waiting for it to open almost every time, to get their needs met. Yesterday it was pouring rain, and I noticed two of the women were in flip flops. I always feel *compelled* to do or give something, but I rarely ever do. Why? Because I imagine myself driving up to them, and giving them money, or a coffee, or a jacket, and then I imagine being told to get lost. Assured it's not pity, but this is how I fear I would come across.
What are your thoughts on this? I donate items to needy moms, the food bank, etc, but sometimes I just want to stop and DO something that meets someone's more immediate needs. Is it appreciated or misconstrued? Have you ever done this?
This issue is purely my own that I need to get past. Lately it seems like many of my ideas about kindness and generosity are in my head, and I realize that that does not make me a generous person. Doing makes you generous. To be clear, I do not wish to *do* to gain a label as generous, but because I feel in my soul it's something I am not doing enough of that I need to be doing. The concept of "Pay It Forward" is not lost upon me. There is too much to worry about and complain about not to be creating some good in this world.
If you have other ideas about generosity and kindness, little ways you make a difference, I'd love to hear them. I have thought of three things that I want to do this week (which I won't share). And, I would challenge you for Thanksgiving to not only think about all that is great in your own life, but how you can improve someone else's, even if only for a few moments.
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