Legislative Blog
J.B. Williams, J.D.
Remember to be Grateful
A Blog about Holidays
A Bit of Background
The following backgrounds help summarize the author's views on both the general topic: Other and more specifically Holidays as it relates to that topic.
Brief Summary of Other
Topics here may be related to legal matters but not innately legal. For instance, discussing grocery plastic bags versus cotton cloth bags. The item itself is not legal but many city governments have placed it into legislation.
Summary of Holidays
A spot for small greetings and reminders for holidays
Blog Summary
Try creating a grateful jar this year. Begin by putting 1 grateful on a slip of paper with today's date. Place it in a jar, and try to do it each day.
Remember to be Grateful
Published: 2024-11-27
When I was practicing law, I use to advise all of my client's to write down 1 thing everyday which they were grateful and date it. Place the slips of paper into a jar. (And if they had children, to have them do this on the days they were with them too. Everyone could add initials to the slip.)
If there was a day they were feeling very down and just couldn't come up with anything, they were suppose to pull 1 slip out of the jar and read it.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they should pull out something each day to read. (If the jar was full, pull more than one. The idea being to empty the jar by Christmas.) And during this time, a new jar would be started for the following year.
Some, but not all, of my client's tried this. Many thinking they would be pulling out so many during the year that it wouldn't have enough to read each day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And for some, in that first year during the divorce, this was true. But for some, they had way more in there. And loved having a "gratitude jar" to remind them of the positives in life.
I use to post my 5 gratefuls each day. Some days it is easier than others. If you begin your day in a flurry, try this in the evening to remind you of the day, and to relax and focus on the positives. If you start your day forcing yourself to get going, then try this in the morning to give yourself something positive to start your day. 5 is not necessary, just try 1. The nice thing about them being on a slip is that you are not looking at prior days and trying to be different from all of them. It's okay to repeat things.
As you sit thinking of the things for which you are grateful, or trying to, remember they are simple thing you have that some do not. If you are grateful for friends and family, remember to include them in your life. Even if it's a text message because you thought of them. It's okay if you don't have time for a long call, email/letter. Just let them know they matter to you in a short text.
If you are grateful for a pet, don't forget to take time to spend with them. Gratefuls don't have to be people and pets, they can be a plant, a photograph that reminds you of something or some place, or that you made it safely to a destination. There are so many things, don't overlook the seemingly small things trying to find the big. Those small things are what make life the way it is.
On the now cooler mornings, I am grateful for the tea pot that was my grandmother's and for the pretty china cup/saucer I get to enjoy my tea. It's my way of starting my morning off remembering those who are no longer here but are loved and remembered each day.
So take a moment and think of just 1 thing - even if all you do is say it to yourself.
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.
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