An Attitude of Gratitude … or Whatever Works Best for You

Written by Cassie Upton, Longmeadow Resident

Article published in Longmeadow Neighbors (November 2023)

Enjoy every moment. Stop and smell the roses. Count your blessings.

These wise words of wisdom are part of our vocabulary and ingrained in our culture, but
when you’re carting kids around town, trying to make a living, and just generally caught up
in daily life, the art of practicing mindfulness can quickly take a back seat.
As the mother of a toddler, I always hear “it goes by so fast, enjoy every second.” And trust
me, I believe it…the last two years have flown by. But when I’m changing a diaper or
chasing my son down the street, I don’t always have my appreciation hat on.
So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’d like to share a few tips we can use this time of year,
and in our everyday lives, to slow things down just a bit. Full disclosure: these are brought
to you via extensive research, err Googling. While I have not yet put all of these into
practice, I do plan to give them a try.

For Thanksgiving or social events:
 Appreciation chair game. You sit one person in a chair while everyone takes turns
sharing why they appreciate and are grateful for this person; it could be to reflect on
something this person did for you during the year, or to compliment them, the key is
that each person gets their moment to shine. (Definitely trying this one at
Thanksgiving, and not just because it sounds fun with an adult beverage.)

 Scavenger hunt. Make a list of things that you and your guests are grateful for,
keep in mind these need to be physical items (for example, I would use a pair of
sweatpants, floss, and a pair of running shoes). Then, you start the hunt and cross
off all the items on your list. You may learn something about your friends and family
as you find their favorite book, snack, or toy lying around the house. You can also
purchase or print pre-made scavenger hunts online.

For everyday life:
 Journaling. Make it a habit of writing down what you are grateful for, whether it’s
every day or once a week. Once you’ve written an entry, read it back to really reflect
on how you feel about what made you grateful in the first place. You can also revisit
earlier entries when you need a boost. This one takes a little time and discipline but
somehow relaxes me just writing about it.

 Gratitude jar. Daily, or whenever works for you, write down one thing you’re
grateful for and maybe encourage your family to do the same. Open the jar when
you need a little motivation and you’ll be reminded of those little things that can be
so easy to overlook during a busy day. This one sounds fun to do with kids…maybe
even to have a jar for different ages so you can look back with your kids on the
things that were important to them during different times in life.
For the life of a working mom (these just seem the most realistically doable and
sustainable in my current life):

 Show appreciation. Do something to show others you appreciate them. Sure, you
can still say “thank you” and express your gratitude in words, but an action (maybe
a Facetime, walk around the block, or surprise cup of coffee) could go a long way.
 Give nightly thanks. Before you completely shut down for the night, be still for a
few moments to reflect on your day. For me, this can sometimes lead to over-
analyzing everything I said or did the past 12 hours, but I do eventually get to the
point of expressing gratitude and counting my blessings.

 Smile. That’s it, just smile! Smile at your friends, strangers, or colleagues you pass
in the hall at work. During marathon training I read that I should smile on long runs
(I think to trick myself I wasn’t in excruciating pain) and it actually worked. Smiling
just makes you feel better.

If all else fails…just try to stop and take a breath every once in a while, your body and mind
will thank you. Happy holiday season!

Cassie Upton lives in Longmeadow with her family. She is a communications consultant and
just wrote her first children’s book, “My Hopes and Dreams for You,” which she describes as
a love letter to her young son.