It’s October 1st and Thanksgiving will soon be around the corner.

I don’t know about you, but every year in my family, the question, “so what are you thankful for this year?” gets asked.  My usual response is that I am thankful for my family, my husband, my son and yes, even my feisty cat. I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful for the life that I have, because let’s face it, even though there are challenges, obstacles and hardships that I encounter from time to time, it’s a pretty darn good life!

But everyone tends to gives generic responses like that…

How about being specific instead? How about really digging deep down and thinking about what it is you are truly thankful for in your life?

For instance, if someone asks me, “What are you thankful for Wendy?”, how about I say that I am thankful for my husband because his laid back, easy going personality helps calm me down when I get stressed and overwhelmed in life. I am thankful for my son, who teaches me each and everyday about patience, who shows me what true joy really is, and who also reminds me of the power of touch and affection. I am thankful for my cat because she caught a mouse in our house the other day. (Don’t know how it slipped its way in our house, but it’s probably sorry that it did once it encountered our cat!) I am thankful for my friends; their eclectic personalities remind me that there are many different ways to look at life. I am thankful for my house, because even in it’s half dilapitated state (we are in the midst of renovating it) is still a darn good house to raise a family in! I am thankful for being the editor of The Local Biz Magazine, because it gives me the opportunity to work with a talented group of people who are dedicated to making this magazine a success in the Durham community. It’s the little engine that could in the magazine world.

That’s pretty specific don’t you think?  Granted, it took me a couple of minutes to come up with that response, but it allowed me to really hone in on some of the things I ought to be thankful for in my life.

I urge all of you too, to be specific and really think and reflect when you are asked this Thanksgiving, “What are you thankful for?” 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 🙂

 

About the Author

Wendy Chiavalon is the Editor-in-Chief of The Local Biz Magazine. She lives in Ajax with her family. She loves watching Pixar movies, salsa dancing, road trips and of course, baking and eating cakes (who wouldn’t)?! In her spare time, she doubles as a cake decorator, baking and decorating cakes and other goodies for special occasions. You can check out some of her work at www.wendyscakeshoppe.com and follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wendyscakeshoppe