Have you noticed a trend in social media posts lately, encouraging you to be thankful on Thursdays? This trend has arrived at the right time. We have had many things impact all our lives this year. None of us can deny it has been a challenge. And for some, it may have been the most challenging year yet.

The stresses of this year have been nothing less than consuming. You may have found your life turned upside down, and needing to make drastic changes to accommodate the new normal.

So why be thankful amidst so much turmoil? Because, we have many things we should be thankful for. So many things that might go unrecognized if we don’t pause and realize what we appreciate.

Even the simplest of things should be called out, pulled to the forefront of our thoughts, and put front and center. We are not meant to squander our thoughts by relishing in the negative. We can do so much more when we focus on the positive.

Parents, we have this slippery slope each week. We get pulled into our to do lists. We need to work to support our families. We are schooling from home, pre-schooling even. We are trying to manage the load of household responsibilities with the need to care for our children and work, all at the same time. We drop the ball, and things are left undone. Our frustrations boil over because we feel so far from perfect. So far from perfect, it feels like failure.

By the time Thursday rolls around, we feel defeated, at the least. The weekend is near, and we are glad, but so much is left to still get done before Friday evening. How will we manage? Why is this so hard? Is it going to feel like this every week, compounding from one to the next?

This is hard!

But, thankfully, there is Thankful Thursday. And, we could all use a little bit of thanks.

Here’s the deal, it doesn’t have to be an entire day of gratefulness. But, we could all use a little change in the way we think. So, I encourage you to practice being thankful this Thursday, and every Thursday from here on out.

All you need to do is find something to be thankful for. Write it down. Share it on social. Tell your children.

Today I am thankful for…

It is amazing what a little statement can do to shift your entire outlook and remind you that no matter how bad things get, there is always good to accompany it.

Today, I am thankful for the inspiration from my children, and the ability to share my thoughts on this blog. Today I am thankful for all my readers. And today, I am thankful for the opportunity to be thankful.

So tell me, what are you thankful for?