Gratitude Month 2026: America 250

 

This semiquincentennial year for the United States of America has been a time of gathering friends and family for celebratory times, experiencing its history and present innovations, and reveling in all the good that is America. I am grateful for my ancestors who sacrificed greatly to leave their homelands for an unsettled wilderness and all who kept coming as they were beckoned by the hope of liberty. I am thankful for my American roots that anchor me to this land. I am thankful for all the freedom that has been fought for and won because people have believed we could have something different, something better. I am grateful to God for watching over us, and I pray for His holy protection as we move into the next two hundred and fifty years. 

Gratitude Month 2026: Deep Conversation

 

Anyone who knows me knows that I could talk the ear off a horse—or whatever that saying is. I talk small talk, big talk, and everything-in-between talk, but my favorite kind of talk is deep talk. Not everyone revels in argumentation, complex concepts, and random trains of thought that bring you to truly contemplate the important and eternal things in life. I will be friends with anyone and everyone, yet I tend to gravitate toward those individuals who appreciate and enjoy deep conversation. It is usually self-professed nerds like myself who love deep conversations, and I am here for it. 

The other day, I was part of one of these treasured talks, and I was asked how I would define love. My first response was that love equals loyalty, and I gave evidence to support my claim. The talking kept going and even weaved into other conversations, then, something someone said provided me more clarity on how I could describe love, and it is affectionate loyalty. This description can apply to any form of human love that we share. I give affectionate loyalty to my children, my brothers, my parents, my extended family, my friends, my coworkers, and my employer even. Each iteration of love looks different, but the definition stands true to how I live life. 

I would like to give affectionate loyalty to a romantic subject again someday, God willing. I must say I am not grateful for the realization that I have never received genuine affectionate loyalty in this form, but I still seek it, so I guess I am thankful I still have hope that I can find someone capable of reciprocating romantic affectionate loyalty for me.

So today, I am thankful for the deep conversations I have had in my life and the recent one that got me thinking about something that brings me hope. And I am thankful that I am someone capable of loving the intellect it takes to hold these types of conversations.  

Gratitude Month 2026: Good Music

 

I was raised around good music. Between my parents' wide range of musical tastes and growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s, I have experienced the best of the best throughout time, so whenever anyone asks me what is my favorite type of music, I literally say one word—good. Not all music is good, but you can find good songs in just about any genre. Some of my favorite genres with many good songs in them include classical, classic rock, new wave, alternative, country, and gospel music. I enjoy songs in other genres as well, but these are what I probably listen to most as they bring happiness, understanding, and light to my days. 

Going to live musical performances is another facet of my gratitude for good music. There is nothing like hearing a live orchestra or a choir singing in front of your very eyes, and I will add how much I love watching a marching band competition played outside on the football field. It is all so good to me! 

I am so grateful for the gift of music that has been ever present in my life. 

Gratitude Month 2026: Friends

 

Throughout my life, I have had friends, and as I continue in life, I realize that this luxury is not the case for everyone. Not everyone knows how to make friends, and it has always come naturally to me. I have childhood friends I have known since I was four and five years old, and I do not take that for granted. Another section of friends I will never take for granted are the people who have known me since we were teenagers. Holding onto even one friendship during such a tumultuous development period seems like a miracle to me, and I have been able to stay connected with many of these amazing people who helped to shape who I am today. I have a best friend whom we have known each other since fourteen years old, and I am always astonished that she has not gotten fed up with my antics by now. Not even kidding! 

I have so many dear friends that it would take a book to write about everyone, but I simply want to pay honor to each of you who have blessed my life so much. You have been so good to me even if was only for a moment or for years. I am thankful for you. And I want to say thank you to anyone who is soon to become my friend—buckle up! 

Gratitude Month 2026: My Children

It has been quite the journey, becoming a mother and watching everyone grow up while I feel like I am still growing up. Watching my children develop and learn has been the work of my life and a true joy to see them becoming such goodhearted, strong, mindful, resilient people. My heart appreciates all the lovely moments, the birthday parties, the playdates, the mom-times, the road trips, the movie nights, all of it. All those same things are past though, and I look forward to the now, every time we can gather, every time even one of them chooses to pause their big life to keep our family ties strong. 

I am grateful for four of the best teachers I could ask for, showing me the way to become my best self, teaching me that God sees me and us and will keep his promises because He has time and time again for us. So thankful to be a mother.