Thursday is Thanksgiving in the United States. As we’re looking forward to spending time with family and friends, I think it’s important not to lose sight of the true meaning of the holiday: a time to count one’s blessings. I keep a gratitude journal: each night before I go to bed, I list at least three things I was grateful for that day. Gratitude is a powerful force. It shifts your mood and your thoughts from a place of lack to a place of abundance. Gratitude is all about being in the present moment, and appreciating what’s around you.
Several years ago, I started my tradition of making a “Thanksgiving ABC’s” list. Some of the items on the list repeat year after year, others are new. Here’s this year’s list:
A: Allegra
B: Books
C: Cats, of course!
D: Dessert
E: Eating out – one of my great pleasures in life
F: Friends
G: Google – because how did we ever live without it?
H: Hallmark Channel Christmas movies
I: my independence
J: Joy
K: Kindness
L: Lazy Sundays
M: Music
N: New York City, my favorite city in the world
O: Organic products
P: Purring
Q: Quiet
R: Ruby
S: Sunny days
T: Torties!
U: Unscheduled time
V: Veterinarians and veterinary staff, for all they do to make cats’ lives better
W: Weekends
X: X-mas. Even though I’m not crazy about this abbreviation of Christmas, I can never think of anything else that starts with X, and I do love Christmas!
Y: You – our readers!
Z: the Zoomies – it’s what I call it when Ruby races through the house like a crazy kitten for no reason at all
What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?
The 13 yr-old cat I adopted 1.5 yrs ago gets the Zoomies once in a while, too. I was quite surprised the first time she got Zoomie. She was a badly, sadly neglected cat for most of her life. I give her LOTS of love and attention and spoil her very which way. Sometimes I think she just zooms because she’s happy. I gave my 15 yr-old cat one of the large scratchers which looks like a piece of furniture. (I’ve almost forgotten what it is and sat on it a few times.)
When he’s happy happy he jumps onto it and Scratches.
I always thought the Zoomies were an expression of exuberance and happiness, Cheri. Bless you for adopting a senior kitty.
For my family and friends. Bernie, Bernadette and her paintings, Harry and Family and Glen who have Torties with major Tortitude the people I have met thru FB because of their cats and most of all my cats that I have taken in and given a forever home.
I am thankful for my new job which is stress free.
Great list! I’m grateful my mom got some good health news and that I’ll be spending Thanksgiving with her, Dan, and my two sons.
My Mom felt the same way about the abbreviation “Xmas”; then I researched early Christianity and found that “X” was a sign for Christ, similar to the fish drawing seen sometimes. They had to worship in secret and had to mark their meeting places so others could find them.
I never knew that! So interesting!