Saying thank you is never enough

By PATTIE MIHALIK

newsgirl@comcast.net

During the Thanksgiving season, the emphasis is on saying thank you for all our immense blessings.

I've always tried to make the prayer before our Thanksgiving meal more meaningful. And I've always failed.

We tried the go-around the table bit and have each person name one thing for which they are grateful. It got repetitive because most of us said we were most grateful for our family.

At first the young kids were awkward and tried to make jokes when it was their turn. But after some prompting we got some serious responses from them.

Still, it wasn't enough. It seemed a bit rote and forced instead of sincere expressions of gratitude.

One year I tried the "do something for others" approach. I asked everyone to bring something for those in the homeless shelter gloves, socks, toiletries, shaving things, chocolates anything to remind us of how we should be grateful that we have those things in abundance.

While I liked the follow-up trip to deliver those items to a shelter, again I felt like it wasn't enough.

It's the same way with my personal thanksgiving prayers. It's never enough.

I have stopped trying to make my Thanksgiving prayers more meaningful. Instead, I have spent the past year making each day a more meaningful expression of my gratitude.

When I open my eyes, my first silent prayer is thankfulness for another day of life and an added prayer that I may spend the day in a meaningful way.

When I look over at my husband, David, I say another silent prayer of gratitude that God brought that incredible guy into my life. There are often days when I say that prayer of gratitude for Dave throughout the day.

When I go outside to pick up the morning paper, all my senses are alive as I revel in the new day. I've found the quietude of early morning before the world stirs is the perfect time for prayers of gratitude.

It is with an appreciative heart that I walk quietly through my neighborhood watching the sky streak with color and listening to the small birds sing with the mighty big song.

I am thankful for the light breeze on my face, and most of all, I am thankful to the creator of it all.

I am thankful for the new day that stretches before me, like a gift I can unfold a little at a time. I like knowing that gift is mine to enjoy any way I please.

No matter how I spend my days, I try to be aware of how I am using my time.

I try not to get caught up in the meaningless clutter that entraps us throughout the day, keeping us so busy with the little details of living that we forget the big picture.

For me, at this age, the big picture is that elusive thing we call "time." I realize the time I have left on this earth is dwindling and I don't want to waste any of it.

While that may sound negative, it's actually just a realistic picture of life. Once we realize our time here on earth is not limitless, we can make better use of the time we have. And we are more grateful for every day.

I must admit it's a constant effort to stay aware of how I am spending my days. Time for fun, time for family and friends, time for writing, time for chores, time to fulfill obligations it's all a daily balancing act.

But through it all, I don't want a day to go by without expressing my gratitude for life.

While it sounds like I spend a lot of time feeling grateful and saying thank you for my life, in actuality it's not enough.

It's never enough. The older I get, the more I realize this.

Each week I realize anew how grateful I am for my friendship group a small gathering of women who are equally committed to being aware of our daily gifts as well as the need to spend our time wisely.

Two of the women in that group have a yearlong project that centers on appreciating the world around us. They each take one picture a day that represents a blessing something beautiful, something worthwhile, or something life affirming. Then they post their photos on their Facebook page.

Sometimes the photo is a close-up of a flower. Sometimes it's children at play. Sometimes it's the face of an old person.

None of us wanted to pull out a camera when we watched a touching scene of an old couple helping each other. She had a hard time getting up so he gently held her elbow to steady her as she reached for her walker. He held her arm as they walked, one hand on her and one hand on the cane he used so he didn't fall.

While some may look at that couple and see only the frailty of old age, we all saw the beauty in that little scene. It was a tender illustration of two people growing old together as they help each other though life.

For me, having someone by our side as we go through life is another one of life's blessings.

How can we sufficiently say thank you for it all?