I had this blog post started before the news tragedies of the day began to unfold. Reading about senseless murders in Oregon and in Israel add a pretty hefty exclamation point to today’s random thought. Gratitude. We need to express it more.
It is important to let others know we appreciate them, and I try to express that as much as possible. Sometimes it is for big things, sometimes for the mundane – either way it matters. Frankly, sometimes the small gestures mean more.
I was reminded today how important a simple “thank you” can be. I sent a note to someone who I work with frequently thanking her for her help. Not with anything in particular, but assistance when I need it. I realized that I have been guilty of asking for a lot – for myself and for clients, and it was time to say thank you without asking for anything.
It was crystal clear over the holidays when I was fortunate enough to have my mother, mother-in-law and sister-in-law all around to help with food preparation, table setting, cleanup, matzo ball and kreplach making and more. The holidays were a joyous time surrounded by friends and family, and it was easy to put out amazing meals with a load of help. (My father and father-in-law were both helpful, too. They ate a lot.)
I am reminded every time we travel, when friends can’t wait to have Babka and Latke stay with them. It was one thing when we had one dog, but while two is twice the snuggles, it is also twice the poop scooping, and that is a lot to ask of others. Although we don’t dogsit too often, we do seem to find loose dogs running around with some frequency, and then try to find their rightful homes.
I am often thankful for the little things in life, too: fabulous sports bras sent to me by my cousin, the extra freezer our friends gave us when they got a new one, adjustable-from-my-phone nest thermostats so the house is always cool when we get there, the Anova sous vide thingamajig that my friend brought over one day (“You’ll love it , trust me!“), Nespresso and Soda Stream keeping me properly caffeinated and hydrated most of the time, Camp Ramah in New England (and by extension, so, so many people reading this post), Ana Bueno and the crew at Paws 2 Care Coalition, who saved both of my dogs from certain death, and a whole host of other things I could not begin to list all in one post.
What are you grateful for? Go out and say thank you to someone today. Do something nice for someone, just because you can.
