Be Thankful

The Sweetest Mother's Day Gift!

November reminds me of Thanksgiving and all the things I am thankful for. Well, I like to put a twist on that. I like to find the things in each day that I’m thankful for. Somedays it is super easy to find all kinds of things. The days I find it hard are the days I’m in the dippy does and want to sit in front of the TV with a gallon of my favorite ice cream and wallo in poor me. Those are the days I have to really dig to find the one good thing. It might be something simple like the sun is out, or I have a home or there is food in my fridge – simple things. Many times it’s the most obvious things that we don’t realize we have.

When my kids were little I would always say no matter how hard you think you have it, someone has it worse. They would look at me and roll their eyes or give me some crazy mom look. But I would tell them, “You can always find something small in each day no matter how bad it is, to be thankful for.”

One year, I remember making a “Thankful Tree.” My oldest son’s birthday is November 20, so we decided to get the whole family involved. We found a branch, brought it inside, put it into a flower pot and filled it full of gravel. Then as our guests came to his birthday party, we asked them if they would fill out a leaf with what they were thankful for and put it on our tree. It was a great visual to show the kids how the tree grew and what people where thankful for.

Just like anyone I struggle some days. I’m not perfect. After my son’s accident I thought, “What now?”

But then I remembered what I told my kids when they were little. No matter how hard you think you have it, someone has it worse. So true! So I continued to look for the small things each day that I was thankful for.

The days after Tyler’s accident it was things like: I’m thankful for 15 years with Tyler, my family and friends. Very simple but things I found even in the toughest of times.

You may be thinking, “I have nothing to be thankful for. I’m going through a loss or a hard time.”

I would suggest sitting down and just writing things on paper that are very simple everyday things. Once you get your list going you will be so surprised and it will become an easy daily ritual.

I noticed during those days, weeks and months after Tyler’s accident, it was hard to be thankful. But as I kept making myself do it, it got easier. It also made me feel better and it reminded me it’s not about poor me. It’s about how I can help someone else through what I have gone through. It’s about showing them how they can find the one small thing in each day to be thankful for no matter how bad it is.

I want to end with a poem that reminds me of being thankful.

Be kind

Be thoughtful

Be genuine

But most of all

Be Thankful

Author Unknown

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Missy Hillmer

Missy Hillmer is a writer, photographer, wife, mother, creative lady whose mind is constantly on the go. She loves coffee, dark chocolate especially with nuts, music soothes her soul and being outside in the sun recharges her body. She has an angel in Heaven. Her faith is what gets her through each day. Since her son Tyler’s accident she is passionate about telling her story with the hope that it will help or inspire at least one person who has lost a child.

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If you liked this, you'll love our book, SO GOD MADE A GRANDMA

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