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. 

Gratitude Month 2026: My Parents

Over the last few weeks, my mom and dad have been on my mind so much. I even had a dream with my dad in it that was so vivid that it felt real until I was awake and had to talk myself into reality. He and I were walking around our family home's property assessing the patches of grass that were not growing properly and the patches where it needed to be mowed, and it was all so easygoing just how we used to talk when we would go on walks or shooting the breeze. Just before I woke up, he was telling me essentially that we have a good plan for things, and we agreed that it will all work out if we do what we planned. I cannot help but continue to believe it was a visit like my mom's dream last year (or early on this year), but somehow, I was not freaked out, just so comfortable with talking and walking around our old backyard. 

The only problem is now I have my parents on my mind daily, and there is nothing to do but miss them. Well, there is something. I have been preparing to write my mom's biographical sketch and have put out a call for stories, so there is that. No one has sent me any stories yet, so that has been hard, but I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month by working on her story, so I can have it together as much as possible by the end of November and put the finishing touches on over Christmas break hopefully. 

My gratitude runs deep for these two wonderful and regular and extraordinary and very missed people. They took a chance on love between two very different people, gave me life and my brothers too, and ran the course through the rest of their lives never giving up even when it might have seemed easier to do so. 

Love and miss them and appreciate them beyond any description I can write here. 

Happy First Day of Gratitude Month! 

Gratitude Month 2025: Writing

Every time someone reads one of my poems and tells me how my writing touched them or helped them understand something special or understand life a little more, I am thankful for being able to write what comes to my mind. It takes an education to know how to write and creativity to put words onto the page in a way that others would want to read it. I am grateful to have had such inspiring teachers and friends and life experiences to have the ability and material to write. Jokes are made that you need to watch out when you are friends or family with a writer because you could end up in one of their books, and that is so true. Most of the time, in my case, it is because of being inspired by my friends and family, but it could easily go the other way. Just kidding. Kind of. 

I am grateful I carved out the time to reflect on what I am grateful for and wrote it all down, so I can remember these days and capture these moments in time that are truly fleeting. I hope that I will bring joy and thoughtfulness to all who read my words. I want so much for my writing to reach anyone who it might help to feel seen. 

I am grateful you took the time to read my writing. It means so much to me. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Genuine Friends

Lately, like for a few/several years, I have had a consistent conveyor belt of physical traumas and health issues, and I just went through one of the toughest tests (I had to be awake and participate in it to do the testing), and I sent out texts to various friends asking for their prayers, and so many of them responded to me with such support. I just knew I could count on them, so even though I had only heard back from two people by the time I had to begin the test and could not read any of the texts, I knew that every buzz of my phone was filled with encouraging, faith-filled words to keep me going. I struggled so much in that test, but I cannot imagine how it would have gone had I not the faith and confidence of my friends helping me along. This example is one of many over the years that I have been alive. God has sent me friends for a moment and friends for a lifetime to keep me going. I consider these friends miracles as I face so much solitude and require great amounts of courage to face some of the things I have to go through alone. I am grateful every day for the texts, calls, visits, time spent, and all that love I am given. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Fresh Water

I seem to contemplate the blessing of fresh water each year—and write about it—but I am grateful for it every year, even every day. What a good life it is when you have fresh water on tap inside your own home to take showers and drink straight from the tap if you want. Being able to be clean and healthy should never be taken for granted, and I hope I never take fresh, clean, running water for granted because that is what affords good health and cleanliness. As Thanksgiving was just yesterday, I was hyper aware of all the times I ran my dishwasher, started up more laundry, and washed so many dishes, and all was done with great ease and without limits. I am grateful to have such access to a life essential. I pray that those in the world without fresh water will be reached and given help to gain access. 

Gratitude Month 2025: The Brave Ancestors

In my research on my family tree, I have learned that many people in my family line took the chance and came to America in the 1600s and 1700s, helping to forge these United States of America. I look at my life and all the freedom and opportunity that I enjoy, and I am in awe of what they gave to me. And it is not only my ancestors but all the goodhearted people who were brave to try a new land across the Atlantic and make their way. So many people lost their lives in the earliest days of this American experiment, and so many children did not make it. When I consider all the sacrifice, I can hardly fathom what it would take to do what they did. I also have family in my line who kept coming over in the 1800s, and I even have one great grandfather who immigrated from Wales in the 1900s. It takes my breath away to think of how they all left their homeland to come here, so I could be who I am now. All their heritage and grit and faith and hope all resting on my shoulders to help me keep going. I am thankful for all the people in my family tree and every single contributor to helping Americans have what we have today. I pray today and every day for our country to be safe and free and strong.

Gratitude Month 2025: Being a Mother

As I gear up for the single most cooking/baking/preparing day of the year, Thanksgiving Day, I am pondering all the wonderful ways that I am blessed as a mother who does all this cooking, baking, and preparing. This past week, I was shown a couple of things surrounding food that help me know I am doing alright and not completely failing in my attempts to be a good mom to adult children, so I want to take time to celebrate each of them. 

I have one child who will always need my help for as long as we both are alive, and I have been thinking about how her need for me to help her helps me have unique purpose and softens the blow of the empty nester life. Granted, it also hinders the empty nester life's perks, but I love to serve and spend time with my family, so I love that I can do what I can to help this child and recognize that she helps me in the process. 

My oldest son is always someone I can talk to and be real with, and I am so thankful to know that he is working hard to take care of himself. I love how he is able to find simple things to make a difference for himself and to lift our family. I just wish I saw him a little more often, but so goes life. I am so thankful for this young man who was my little buddy before life got crazy with all this growing up stuff. 

 

Something that has been appreciated lately is when my youngest daughter comes over from time to time to bake cookies and other stuff. I know it helps her, but it helps me too. I love to see her being so kind and giving and wanting to share with others. This week, she came over to make pies from my pie recipe for a young single adult activity to make it nice for people who are gluten free. Her motivation to make the stuff I make reminds me of the love my mom put into the foods she made for us that motivated me to want to carry on those foods for my children. Food can be such a generational connector, and I am thankful for it especially since my parents died before any of my children were alive or could really get to know them. Knowing my daughter is learning and loving some things from our family food traditions gives me a lot of joy, so much really. I am thankful for it. 

And my youngest got home last week after working on the other side of the country for four months, and one of the first things he told me other than work updates and car stuff talk was how he missed my cooking. He didn't say it like that though. We were both just getting ready for the day, me preparing for leaving in the front room area and he in the bathroom brushing teeth and doing his hair. He started telling me a story about how someone he was working with to sell insurance to had invited him to stay for dinner. I thought that was really nice, and then he said he was sitting there beginning to eat dinner with them, and as he was eating, he realized that it had been months since he had eaten a home cooked meal and felt so thankful for the food I have made over the years that he just about broke down in tears right at table. He said it all so casually as he was getting ready that I would have been out of place to make a moment of it, but it was a moment to me. I had made dinner the night before and prepared some Cream of Rice for breakfast, and I guess those simple things reminded him. I am writing this here right now, so I do not forget what he said and how he said it all so matter of factly with such honestness of heart. I am thankful for that. 

My children keep showing me that some things are going right, and I am so thankful for their show of love to me in their individual ways that mean so much.  

Gratitude Month 2025: Givers

I am a serious giver. I never thought of myself like that until someone said I am one, and I have not been able to unsee that about myself ever since. 

But this is not a I am thankful for myself type of entry. I want to express my thankfulness for all the people who send good things to thrift stores, donating to the public to help someone they do not know, instead of only giving to their friends and family. There is nothing wrong with giving only to friends and family—I know a few people who do this, and they are nice people. What I am talking about is what a difference it makes when we choose to pass down still useful items to bless people at random. This practice has blessed me more times than I can count, and I have seen it bless others immensely. 

So next time you want to give something away, consider throwing it to inspiration. I know I am thankful when I am the receiver, and I hope when I do the same, people are blessed and thankful for needs being met by the givers of the world. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Students Who Care

In my career as a teacher, I have had many wonderful students, but you cannot count on always having students who see past the teacher label. There is something a little extra that connects when they do though. It is as if you are a full human and not just your job for those hours at school, and it makes all the difference. I am exceedingly thankful for the students who care and take the time to show me that they know I am more than my job. I am grateful to have so many wonderful students like this during this school year especially since it seems to be one thing after another, and they help make it all bearable and doable. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Afternoon Tea

With all my table setting hobby stuff comes the blessing of always being at the ready to put on a little afternoon tea pretty much any time of day. I had the chance to do an impromptu brunchy tea party with one of my sisters-in-law, making finger sandwiches, scrounging for extras in my pantry and fridge, and setting the table. We had a nice visit with some delights that I had on hand and a bit of table setting fun. I am grateful for surprise moments like these that I had to share with my family. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Christmas Magic

I just watched the Christmas movie, Elf, and near the end when everyone comes together to sing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and it puts the Christmas Spirit over the top and Santa's sleigh goes soaring over the crowd, I just get such a feeling of happiness. I know the music and the nostalgia are practically forcing it on me, but I love it. I love the idea of Santa Claus and how it parallels in a small way the love and generosity that Jesus brings to the world. I am thankful for the creativity that goes into being one of Santa's helpers to make things magical and point to the love of Jesus in a happy, celebratory way. Some days, there are so many tough things pushing and pulling at us, and the magic of Christmas at this time of year is something that can lift our hearts a little, and I am so thankful for it all. I have a lot of feelings about this one, but I am struggling to find the right words, but I hope what I did write comes across to you. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Time

I know that choosing something as broad as time is a bit of a cheat; however, I am still thankful for it. I am thankful for each time I have the chance to say sorry when I am wrong or have wronged someone. I am thankful for each time I can make a memory with my now adult children. I am thankful for all the time I have been given to reach out to others to help them or get to know them better. I am thankful for the time I am given to teach and guide students. I am thankful for each new day I am blessed with to try again to get this thing called life as right as I can as an imperfect person doing their best in such a flawed manner. Time is all we've got until forever kicks in, and I am grateful to have been given as much as I have. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Visiting

Anyone who knows me even a little bit knows that I love to visit. I look forward to eternity for many reasons, but one of the big perks is being able to talk for pretty much ever. I am so thankful that I am able to strike up conversations with most anyone any time and in almost any place. I get it from my dad after growing up seeing his example of asking people just the right questions to help them understand he was someone you could really talk to. I used to be mortified by his chatty Kathyness, but I am just the same way and have been probably well before I knew and was thinking he was weird for it. I am thankful for the ability to visit with people and find joy in it rather than dread like some people do, and I am thankful for my dad's example of how to go about pro-level visiting. It has blessed my life in surprising and unique ways. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Shoes

I used to be a big shoe person, and I actually still am in my heart, but ever since a major car accident several years ago, I have not been able to wear most of my fun shoes. That accident in combination with all the repercussive injuries along with getting older has made it so that I probably will never be able to were them again. I gave away most of them a couple of years ago because I realized the fact. But that is just about fun shoes that are not really functional when you think of it, and I want to talk about how thankful I am for shoes that protect my feet and help my feet and help me feel comfortable, able, professional, and even on the rare occasion fashionable still. I know this all sounds downright elderly, but it is what it is, and I wish it weren't what it is, but wishing ain't getting, so I will be thankful for the blessing that helpful good shoes are. Too many people across the globe go without the shoes they need, and I have never had to do that, so I am simply grateful for having this specific need met. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Ribbon

It might sound frivolous (because it pretty much is), but I really love nice ribbon. I use it for wrapping presents, decorating around my house and even on my porch, and really in any way my creativity can make ribbon a thing. I especially love adding ribbons to my table settings for any occasion, but lately, I have been playing around with ideas for how to get ribbon to make some magic on my Christmas table. I already draped my light fixture above the dining table with three different types of ribbon, Christmas lights, and some sparkly snowflake decorations, so the idea might actually come to fruition on the table. I am crossing my fingers. So anyway, I am thankful for every time I find ribbon at the thrift store, on clearance, or in the hands of friends giving it away (which happened by bagfuls this summer). So thankful because it makes my life happier. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Hoodies

I do not remember when I started collecting them, but at least 15 years ago, I bought a purple hoodie from my university's bookstore, and I am pretty sure that is the one that turned having a hoodie on into a trip down memory lane. Now, every time I travel to a new place or attend a special occasion, I search out the best hoodie money can buy (that I like). I do not always find a purple or special enough to buy even though it is not purple hoodie, but when I do, I buy it and think of the time I spent at that place every single time I wear that hoodie. 

A few of my favorite hoodies include my 15-year-old, should probably be thrown away but I just cannot do it until I can replace it, purple BYU hoodie, a super soft purple Mount Vernon hoodie that is not holding up very well unfortunately, a navy blue classic York, England hoodie that I bought at the York Minster's gift shop and it makes me so happy to wear it that it is my second favorite only to the BYU one, and a cream and brown Boston hoodie that reminds me that even if you land yourself into a wheelchair on vacation, you can still find a great hoodie that makes you smile when you wear it. 

This hoodie habit is like time traveling back to the best of times, and it makes me happy. I am thankful for my not so on purpose tradition I have created of getting the softest, best, cutest, most comfortable, and most of the time purple hoodies, so I can keep my memory alive with the good memories I have the chance to make. 

Gratitude Month 2025: My Family

I am thankful for my family. I write about them every single year, and every single year, I am sure I need to keep expressing my gratitude for them. I have wonderful children who make me a better person as I strive to be a good mother to them. I have amazing brothers who make my life more interesting and dynamic and help me to be a better person too. I have so many cousins and aunts and uncles who help me understand what God wants of me. Family is true wealth. Family is everything. I love them all dearly. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Christmas Movies

This past week in my Creative Writing class, I was teaching students about climactic events and falling action, and my first thought for excellent examples of these two plot elements was from It's a Wonderful Life. I typically look for movie clips to show that are from books made into movies, but the pure desperation and stunning elation all within moments in the scene when George is begging God to restore his family to him then realizing God answered his prayer is storytelling perfection, so those two clips were what my students got. 

Can you believe there were some students who had never seen It's a Wonderful Life? I was dumbfounded yet tried to not show my shock, but the extra perfect thing about having some students who had never seen it was that they could very clearly see why I chose what I did. The poignant delivery of the story lines has much to do with Jimmy Stewart being a gifted actor, but the ability to reach people is in how close to home the moment hits for each person. Everyone has had moments like George, maybe not so extreme, but it is all still very human. And in those moments, we are reminded of how much we need God and Jesus Christ. 

As I was showing the end scene when the falling action tumbles down the plot outline with a swiftness, I could not help but get teary eyed at the lesson being taught. Yes, the falling action rushes at us with little time to let it all sink in, but is not that how life can get once we realize there are blessings all around us? I know it can be like that for me. So whether I am watching Christmas movie classics or the B film Christmas cookie cutter movies that are a dime a dozen as far as writing quality goes, you can always count on a rush of falling action into a beautiful, happy, sweet resolution to remind us that in the end everything will be alright because God wins which means we win. 

I am grateful for the Christmas movie genre with its simplicity and gentle reminders that joy is the resolution we are looking for, and it all points me to being thankful for God sending us the Christ Child, the reason for the season. 

Gratitude Month 2025: Cream Cheese & Bagels

Not quite sure why, but I have been on a kick for bagels and cream cheese for a couple of months. It all started with the best bagel egg sandwich I have ever had in Portland, Maine followed by an amazing pumpkin bagel with pumpkin cream cheese later that afternoon by the same place. They were both so delicious that I am pretty sure I have been chasing that high ever since. Like, not even kidding. I am thankful for those bagels and cream cheese as well as the lesser, more plain jane bagels and cream cheese following that amazing day in Portland, Maine, the day that made me fall in love with bagels and cream cheese more than I thought possible.