by Mark Stinson
Silk Hope, NC – With all the department stores jumping on the Christmas holiday selling train lots of people have forgotten about the importance of Thanksgiving. I have found you have to be thankful and grateful first to really have a happy joyous holiday season.
Lately lots of us have become wrapped up in local events and lost focus. Each of us have a choice to be thankful or not and it really makes a difference in how we interact with others. It’s so easy to just give into feeling sorry for yourself and decide that you have nothing really to be thankful for.
I could fall into that trap easily as our house has issues. Our heat pump doesn’t function properly and we have been sick for months so why be thankful? I’m thankful we have a house. Some don’t have a home and live on the streets. We have ceramic heaters so we are warm. I’m thankful because some people are not so lucky this winter and are cold. We have been sick and we both have health issues we deal with daily but we are still alive to love our kids and grandkids! I’m thankful I am still here for them. I’m thankful for my faith, family, friends and my home.
The attitude of gratitude and thankfulness can make the worst situations feel better. With all the events going on in Chatham lately take a minute to be thankful. It will improve your mood. Happiness and thankfulness are contagious. If each of us could focus on the positive and talk to each other rather than at each other just imagine the positive changes we could make. Changes we could all be thankful for. I wish each and everyone who reads this, a late Happy Thanksgiving and holiday season!