30 Days of Thanks and Giving: A Challenge

I've been thinking about doing something significant for Thanksgiving and this is what I've come up with: I will do something every day of November to show my thanks. I've decided to share my challenge with you, dear friends and family, because it'll help me stay committed.

On some days, I'll deliver a sincere message of gratitude to someone who has impacted my life, or the lives of my loved-ones. I'm not talking about a simple statement on here or Facebook, as I've done before… "Today I'm thankful for my teachers." I want to write a very direct letter or card, or meet with the person face-to-face and tell people how thankful I am for their presence in my life.

On other days, I'll give some kind of gift to someone. I often feel that just SAYING thank you is not enough to show Heavenly Father how thankful I really am for this blessed life. I figure that if I'm truly grateful for all I've been given, I should be willing to share it. In some cases, I'll give something tangible, possibly to a homeless person, a neighbor, or friend. In other cases, I'll share my time; I'll serve them by doing something specific to help them. I'll do this mostly outside of my little family; I know that what I do for them as mom and wife daily definitely counts as service and giving, but I want this to be in addition to those everyday actions.

I'm hoping this will help me focus on the real meaning of Thanksgiving, and the following Christmas season. Maybe these won't all be grand gestures, but that's okay. Sometimes just letting someone into traffic with a smile and a wave is a service. And it's possible I'll miss a day or two--I'll make them up a few days into December.

If you want to join me, please do. It doesn't have to be just for November. If you start half-way though the month, just keep going until December. Maybe more of us can put a priority on showing true gratitude, and make a little difference in our own corners of the world.