by Caroline Shaw

I wanted to share with you a great attitude adjuster for our family. Sometimes it’s hard to be grateful and easy to focus on the many things that go wrong in all of our lives. We can easily become bitter and prisoners of that bitterness. A quick way to push aside this potential threat to our mental well being is to start a Gratefulness Journal.

Buy an empty journal for yourself and your children. Take out a sheet of paper and write down a few people you are grateful for, a few who may have helped you along the way. Look at your surroundings and pick things that you are grateful for… a warm bed, a table laden with food, a loving family, a puppy happy to see you, a child to kiss goodnight, a golden leaf you picked up off the ground and brought into the house because you appreciated its beauty, the crescent moon in a night time sky, the warmth of a smile a stranger sends your way. I am sure there are many things you can bring to mind and list.

Now, open your journal and pick one and write about it. Tell why you are grateful for this event, this particular inclusion in your life …have your child, your mate do the same. Make this a daily ritual if you can for awhile. One night when you have a family time around the fire or gathering spot in your home…make some popcorn and some cider and share your journal with one another. Gratefulness is catchy it spreads around the corners and fills the air of your home…it’s what makes your household warm and inviting. What a great tradition this could be! Each family member could choose a journal entry to be read at the Dinner table on Holidays or just special dinners our family might have. You can choose one family member to share a special entry. You will see that you and your family will be focusing on that which is positive and hence healthy for your family.

Here is a cider recipe for your family gathering.

Grateful Cider

1 gallon of Apple Cider
10 cinnamon sticks
Some whole cloves (about 10)
Simmer on top of stove for about 15 minutes and pour into some nice Seasonal mugs…

About the Author: Caroline Shaw is a mom of six, she lives with her husband, Bernie, three children, (still at home) two kitties and a collie near Pittsburgh. A graduate of Duquesne Univ. in Pittsburgh, she is publisher and editor of an online magazine, A Moms Love, written for and by Moms. She also authors two newsletters: Momslove and Workathomeideas.

© 2000 Caroline Shaw

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