Aesop once said that gratitude is the sign of noble souls.
Though reminding ourselves about our blessings and feeling grateful is something that should be practised daily, life and the molehills and mountains it lays down in our path can often make us forget the good things.
This week, Canadians are celebrating their Thanksgiving holiday and if you can’t find the optimism to forget the negatives most of the time, this is the perfect opportunity to think of all of the riches you do have and leave the rest behind.
It’s not just the big things that deserve notice. It’s not just the presence of special people in your world, your prosperity and health that can make you appreciate how lucky you have it. Those are just the obvious ones. Occasionally there is some little thing that is so insignificant you don’t necessarily see it as a blessing. But it was a moment or situation that lifted your spirits so much it has to be considered as one of those little gifts.
Scuffling through a pile of fallen leaves the other day lightened my heart and infused me with a childish exuberance. Sitting at a recent gathering and looking at the faces of my kids enjoying each other’s company I realized I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. The inimitable charm of my older granddaughter, a conversation with my older grandson, the dimples and easy smiles of the younger two, charmed my weary soul. They are among my cherished blessing, yet each of those small moments served to remind me that life is indeed good.
So this weekend I will pay the appropriate homage to a blessed existence. And in keeping with that this great sampling of 90 images from iCLIPART.com highlights our blessings, not just the ones of family and food, but some less obvious ones as well that are perfect for Thanksgiving in Canada.
