Thanksgiving isn’t the only time to be thankful, but this yearly reminder sure helps those of us who suffer from gratitude amnesia.

I’d like to thank everyone for hanging in here with me. I’m thankful for all the things I’ve learned as I’ve researched our Relief Society’s history. I’ve thrown in some personal thoughts and opinions, and yet you continue to come back. I hope I’ve caused you to think about things. Maybe you’ve done some experimenting on your own. I’m grateful for our sisterhood; we all have something to offer to move the work forward.

Our Relief Society teacher, this past week, shared with us her habit of writing down 101 things she is thankful for. Usually, she waits till the end of every year, but for this Thanksgiving lesson, she went through the entire room and had us all list something we were thankful for. It was really a great experience to share in our gratitude.

I challenge all of us to take the time to run up a list of things we are thankful for. You really start getting creative, thoughtful, and deep the more things you come up with. It’s really a wonderful exercise. Here are a few that we came up with on Sunday.

My Family                       Food

My Friends                      Indoor Plumbing

The Gospel                       The Atonement

Music                                  Animals

Colors                                Books

Jesus Christ                     Lower Gas Prices

Sunsets                              The Scriptures

The Prophet                     Being Out of Debt

Desserts                             Shelter

Education                         Repentance

I have another friend who has kept a Thank You journal for years. In a notebook (she graduated to recording on a computer), she writes one thing she is thankful for each day. She began this when she was going through a particularly difficult time, finding it hard to feel grateful for anything. Having to think of just one thing a day helped her get through it. And then she just kept going.

In a talk Elder Bednar gave, Pray Always, he challenges us to use an occasional prayer to simply thank our Father in Heaven.  He promises us that as we communicate with our Father, with a grateful heart, we will recognize more and more of our blessings.
Again, as you take the time to list all the many blessings you have in your life, whether on paper, on your laptop, or in your mind, your heart will be filled, your worth will grow, your awareness will peak, and your love will overflow. You will recognize that you love and that you are loved.

Thanksgiving isn’t the only day to be thankful. Let it be a part of our every day life.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!