You share your life with many people, both in passing and in permanence. Friendships that come and then fade. People you meet on vacations, or at the jobs you then leave. Sometimes you get so busy with life, you don’t stop to appreciate all the people who made a difference in it, even in the slightest and most simple way. Even if you don’t know their name.
So for that, to all the people in my life, thank you!
To the stranger I met in passing while out grabbing groceries at the store, who smiled and said hi to my crying child, thank you for the kindness. You didn’t have to do that. To the lady on the airplane who can tell my baby can’t get comfortable, thank you for not being rude. To the waiter who picked up my kid’s bottle off the floor while I was trying to eat a hot meal, and to the clerk who asked my daughter if she wanted a special separate bag for the toy that she just bought with her own money, thank you. To the people who make my life easier, thank you!
Thank you to those who understand life is already hard without the extra chaos, and choose not to fuel the fire, but instead fill the world with light. I see you!
To the lady in line at the grocery store behind me, thank you for your patience as I hustle to unload my groceries while my kid is having a fit about a toy I can’t afford. Thank you to the person before me holding the door. Thank you to the banker for asking if my kids needed a lollipop on a day I was about to have a meltdown. Thank you to the drive thru cashier who gave me my food for free because my card was declined and I couldn’t get the bank on the phone fast enough and my kids were hungry.
Thank you to the mail and delivery people who keep loved ones close in spirit and bring joy and gifts to others.
Thank you to our doctors who keep us healthy and are there in time of struggle or in time of joy. Thank you store clerk for keeping my favorite things stocked on the shelves. Thank you trash truck crew for always taking my extra stuff at the curb, even though sometimes I’m sure it’s annoying. Thank you to the trades and service workers for keeping my normal life less stressful when my AC goes out or my internet connection goes down. Thank you teachers. Thank you coaches. Thank you first responders in all fields and thank you to our military. Thank you to the people I’ve learned lessons from both positive and negative.
Thank you to the people in my life that have pushed me, and have always supported me.
Everyone I’ve met has made me the person I am today. Thank you to my parents for keeping me, teaching me, and loving me while I grew up and continue to grow, even though I’m an adult. Thank you to my mom for listening to me rant for hours about my crappy day. Thank you dad for fixing broken things. Thank you grandparents and those we call “family” for always loving and spoiling my children in ways I can’t. Thank you my sweet friend for following through with that text you must have known I needed that day. Thank you to my spouse for providing for our family and loving me even during the unpleasantly hard times in our life. And thank you to my children for always loving me unconditionally. My heart is filled with thanks.
Be grateful for what you have and for the people who surround you. Be kind to those you meet while on your own journey. Also, know the person you meet next could be facing harder times than you and may need your kindness more than ever. And always be thankful! To find some ideas on teaching kids thankfulness click here.
