Being Thankful For The REALLY Little Things

Sometimes we get so busy with life that we may not take the time to think about all the different things we have to be thankful for. What affects my day the most may seem insignificant to others.

So for today’s Thankful Thursday post, I have compiled a list of the REALLY little things I’m thankful for:

• When my cat decides to hack up a hairball on the tile or hardwood floors instead of on the carpet
• When I start washing my hands in a public restroom and realize that they are not out of soap
• When our mail carrier actually closes our mailbox properly on rainy days and our mail is completely dry
• When my 6-year-old decides against being a drama queen for the day
• When I go to the refrigerator to get a cold beverage and notice that my husband didn’t take the last one
• When I don’t get any annoying telemarketing calls for an entire day (even the no-call list doesn’t stop them all)
• When customer service representatives are nice and friendly
• When I bite into or slice a piece of fruit and realize it is perfectly ripened
• That my cat hangs out with me all day, when she could be in any room of the house

I know these items do seem quite small in the grand scheme of things. However, on some days, we have to really reach to find our gratitude. So even the tiniest things can make a big difference in our attitudes.

I realize that a cat hacking up a hairball is rarely seen as something to be grateful for, but if you’ve ever had to clean up such things from carpet vs from tile, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Each day when I wake up, I begin focusing on what I have to look forward to that day. I also keep a running “log” in my head of the things I encounter that matter to me, such as spending those moments with my husband and daughter before he goes to work and I take her to school.

I appreciate when I cook my daughter a good breakfast and that she enjoys every bite. I cherish the fact that my cat is such a loyal companion, and I love when I reach over to pet her and she breaks out in a full-blown purr within seconds of me just saying her name.

I live for sweet hugs and nuzzles from my little girl and listening to her grow in her confidence as a reader. I enjoy those moments with my husband when we are unwinding and are in that hazy state between being awake and asleep. I appreciate our debates about things like politics and emerging scientific theories.

These are the moments we will miss if we don’t stop to think about them and how much we do have to be grateful for. I realize that chronic pain and other symptoms can really impact our ability to feel good about anything. But making note of something as simple as a well-placed hairball definitely helps.

What do YOU have that you are thankful for? I look forward to reading your answers in the comments section below.