Monthly Archives: January 2026

I recently heard someone say “Gratitude makes every meal a feast.”  It got me to thinking about all the things for which I am grateful. I’ve also decided to make it the topic of this month’s blog.

Let’s start with the basics: What is gratitude? According to Robert Emmons, one of the leading scientific experts on gratitude, gratitude is “an affirmation of goodness.” When we practice gratitude, we acknowledge the good things in the world and the gifts we’ve received in our lives.

“This doesn’t mean that life is perfect,” Emmons says, “it doesn’t ignore complaints, burdens, and hassles. But when we look at life as a whole, gratitude encourages us to identify some amount of goodness in our life.”

For me, gratitude is the feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for the good things in one’s life. Acknowledging life’s goodness that often comes from outside oneself, is a key component of well-being, strengthening relationships and improving mental and physical health, fostering positive emotions and resilience.

Gratitude involves recognizing blessings, both big and small, and can be cultivated through practices like saying “thank you” more often, reflecting on your challenges to see how much you have grown, and journaling leading to a more profound sense of contentment and connection.

The best way to reap the benefits of gratitude is to notice new things for which you’re grateful every day. This is one of the reasons why gratitude journaling works because it slowly changes the way we perceive situations by adjusting what we focus on.

So. For the next 30 days, I invite you to text someone and tell them something for which you are grateful and why? To my dear husband, I feel so grateful that you are in my life because you show me love every day when you make my oatmeal for breakfast.

With a grateful heart, I look forward to connecting with you in February.

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.” (Psalm 107:21-22)

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