My pet lizard died, said the young girl, I can't write.
The others nodded and the mood turned dour. Happy Hour for Young Readers & Writers was not at all happy.
Okay, I said, easing my grip on the prescribed assignment. Let's make a Feel Good List!
They picked at their nails, sunk in their seats. They sat resistant until I wrote the one thing that every 10 year-old loves: pie.
From there, the list grew quickly:
burping
grandma's house
the phrase "holy smokes"
lasagna (both for its taste and the funny spelling)
books
poems
blue
gladiolas
people who listen
Pens raced across journal pages and joy bounced around the table. In just a few minutes, we had 50 things and much happiness.
This morning, as I contemplated Thankful Thursday, I thought of the youngsters and our ability to shift — with appreciation — the mood in the room and in our hearts. Instead of focusing on what we had lost (the lizard, for example) we looked for what we had. Such a simple shift yields profound results.
A moment ago a friend called. Where's Thankful Thursday? she asked. I look for it every week. I glowed with gratitude. Her inquiry kicks off today's Thankful Thursday List of Things That Make Me Feel Good:
A friend who is a fan
greek yogurt with honey and berries
the low angle of light in November
tapioca
cashmere
the earrings I bought for $1.50, purchased in a bright, loud mall
the fact that malls exist (and that, because I live in a small, remote place, when I do go to a mall everything seems so bright and shiny and sorta wonderful, for about an hour, before I become overwhelmed and retreat to the serenity of my quiet, small town life)
bubble baths
sunshine
my sister
pens that glide
beaches
the song Here Comes the Sun
lavender
magnolia trees
mittens
summer
the letter I received this week, handwritten and sincere
manners
the word peevish
warm, soft sheets
pie - including, but not limited to, peach, apple, pecan
Today is Thankful Thursday, a weekly pause to appreciate people, places and things. What are you thankful for today?
Continue the good vibe. Visit these grateful people: