-Isms

I’ve read quite a few gratitude posts on social media lately, the ones where people share what they’re grateful for.

Always reminds me of the scene from the movie “Arthur 2, “where Dudley Moore’s character is asked what he’s thankful for. His response, as he stares at full dinner plate made by his middle-class wife, played by Liza Minelli: I’m thankful I’ve got the smallest piece of meatloaf.

Daughter Amanda likes to pull that line during our holiday gatherings. Never gets old.

I count my blessings every day, and lately, the blessings have become part of my nightly prayers. And, it’s got me thinking: let’s start a gratitude list. Let’s share what we’re thankful for, start a conversation about what is important in our lives, prop up one another and offer support.

With such divisive rhetoric swirling around this chaotic universe, maybe a dose of sincere gratefulness is what we need. Maybe we need to learn to listen to others instead of hearing what we think we want to hear. Maybe it is time to relearn the art of respect and appreciation.

Maybe this social experiment is what I need. When you’re immersed in a 24/7 news cycle, it can be easy to lose sight of what is important and fixate on certain elements of the daily grind.

How will this work? My first thought is to post online, but I realize not everyone uses social media, so we’ll use different mediums to reach all readers. Each week, I’ll include a list of prompts in the paper, as well as on our website. If you prefer to respond via email, send your gratitude offerings to [email protected].

If you are a social butterfly and use social media, I’ll post a prompt nightly on Facebook and Twitter, where you can share your thoughts.

If you’re creative and want to experiment with visual responses, share a photo of your reply. Some prompts lend themselves to this type of reply, along with your validation of gratitude.

Gratitude shields us from negativity, rewires our brains and eliminates stress.

Let’s begin today and continue through the end of 2020.

Deal? Deal.

Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions, according to Zig Ziglar.

He is correct. The more you show gratitude - even if it is for something as unassuming as “I am thankful for raspberry cake made with fruit from this summer’s harvest” - the more you will have to express gratitude for.

Daily prompts:

Nov. 19: A person I’m glad to have in my life

Nov. 20: Something I find comfort in

Nov. 21: My favorite part of the morning

Nov. 22: My favorite memory

Nov. 23: An accomplishment I’m proud of

Nov. 24: A hidden blessing in a difficult situation

Nov. 25: An opportunity I am grateful for.