Thankful... Grateful

I've been pondering those 2 words the last few days as Thanksgiving approaches.. thankful and grateful- literally they mean something pretty similar, but in my mind I separate them into 2 different categories.

I often get so caught up in my life and the chaos that can surround it, that I forget to be thankful and grateful, to stop and smell the daisies.

Today I saw two signs that I needed to see.. It's a Wonderful Life and Count your Blessings.

I also thought of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. You know that Linus is a very smart guy, for a guy who carries a blanket around...

Linus van Pelt: "In the year 1621, the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving feast. They invited the great Indian chief Massasoit, who brought ninety of his brave Indians and a great abundance of food. Governor William Bradford and Captain Miles Standish were honored guests. Elder William Brewster, who was a minister, said a prayer that went something like this: 'We thank God for our homes and our food and our safety in a new land. We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice."

But Marcie really sums it all up:

Marcie: "You heard what Linus was saying out there. Those early Pilgrims were thankful for what had happened to them, and we should be thankful, too. We should just be thankful for being together. I think that's what they mean by 'Thanksgiving,' Charlie Brown."

I, like the Pilgrims, am thankful for many thinigs...

I am thankful for Sunshine, my family, my friends, for the home I have, for my health and that I have a job.

I am grateful that I have had the struggles in my life, and that I have grown from them and become a better person because of them. I am grateful that I am presented with challenges and am willing to take them on. I am grateful that I am a big enough person that I can see my own mistakes and be willing to learn from them. I am grateful that I am learning my weaknesses and accepting them and myself more.

I hope that you are able to count your blessings on Thanksgiving and every day and that is a restful and relaxing day for you and your family.