With the holidays upon us, thankfulness is in the air. Everyone seems to be a little nicer–the cashier at the grocery, your child’s teacher, your relatives. But, what does it mean to be a truly thankful mom? As I started to think about this blog, I noticed how convicting this topic really is for me.
I am thankful when things are easy. I’m thankful for my daughter learning new words. I’m thankful for my son who just learned how to coo and squeal. I’m thankful to get to stay home with my kids and wear pajamas and bake cookies during the day. But what about when things aren’t so easy?
Am I truly thankful when my 2 year old throws a tantrum over the song I play in the car? Or what about when my infant keeps me up all night and I am exhausted? How do I find the thankful heart in those circumstances?
I want to encourage you this holiday season to be a thankful mom. Of course we need to thank others when they do nice things for us. But more importantly, we need to be thankful for the little things. Are we thankful for the chance to be a mom? For me, this was a title that was not easily attained. Many women struggle with infertility and face obstacles in conception.
What about our kids? Are we thankful for the beautiful mess they create in our lives? Are we thankful for the toys on the floor that we can afford or do we only see the disorder? Are we thankful for the sweet blessing of a baby in our lives, or do we just see the laundry pile up and bank account drain?
I know I want my children to be grateful and thankful for their blessings. I want to be an example for them. I want to be thankful–truly thankful. Thankful for the bad days and good. Thankful for the precious moments and the toddler fits. Thankful for the journey.
Karyn Meyerhoff is a mom of 2 in Northeast Indiana. She loves her kiddos and is thankful for the opportunity to write blogs.
Tags: parenting, thankful, thanksgiving, toddlers
