Ahh…Thanksgiving, a holiday dedicated to the focus of being thankful, but are we grateful?
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word thankful as “pleased and relieved”. Both of those are great feelings. Everyone wants to be pleased and relieved. But that’s just it; they’re just feelings, and feelings fade.
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word grateful as “showing an appreciation of kindness”. This is where I see the difference lies; being thankful is a feeling, and being grateful is an action. There are many different ways to practise gratitude in daily life. Ask yourself, “what am I grateful for today?” Pick a regular time to do this. As kids we often did “our thankfuls” right before bedtime.
