Despite the warmer than usual temperatures, which may delude us into thinking its only September or October, the reality is that the traditional "holiday season" of Thanksgiving and Christmas is upon us. Many stores had Christmas decorations up before Halloween and TV ads and mailers remind us, and our children, that now is to time to "buy, buy, buy" and "get, get, get!" As much as I love this time of year and selecting or crafting just the right gift for someone I care about, the reality is we can all get so caught up in our never ending task list that we don't take time to reflect on the truly important aspects of this time of year. For a few moments I invite you to think about the benefits of practicing "an attitude of gratitude" and ways we can demonstrate we are grateful.
The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness. When we receive something, whether tangible or intangible, and express gratitude we are showing thankful appreciation. Gratitude gives us the opportunity to acknowledge the goodness in our lives.
There have been numerous studies that demonstrate the many benefits of practicing gratitude. Several correspond with the Major Messages and Objectives we have when working with children in a support group. To name a few -
Gratitude helps people:
- feel more positive emotions
- deal with adversity
- be more resilient
- demonstrate increased helpfulness and empathy
- improve self-esteem
- build stronger as well as increase relationships
There are easy ways to infuse the practice of gratitude in your support group sessions. Here are a few suggestions. And if you would like to add to the list please email me and we will pass along your ideas!
- Ask children to identify something they are grateful for when doing Sunshine & Cloud.
- When discussing feelings talk about what being thankful or grateful means to them.
- When discussing friends ask them to identify someone they are grateful for in their life and why.
- Give them the opportunity to write a thank you note to someone like a parent, grandparent, teacher, friend, etc.
- During the Celebration unit (or on their evaluation form) ask them to identify a reason they are grateful for having had the opportunity to be in the group.
- What else????
Dr. Robert Emmons in his book Gratitude Works, makes an observation: "How encouraging would it be to see headlines such as 'Gratitude Powers a Sense of Purpose' or 'More Grateful Teens Less Likely to Be Depressed, Delinquent.'" He goes on to quote a French proverb "gratitude is the memory of the heart."
I hope we will all commit to being more aware of our many blessings and reasons to express gratitude as we pass along this important practice to the children we serve. Hopefully this will be a year-round practice and what better time to begin than at Thanksgiving?
With sincere gratitude to and for you,
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