It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving Day is next week, which also means that Christmas is right around the corner. The holiday season is upon us! In celebrating Thanksgiving, many people start sharing the things they are thankful at the beginning of the month. One thing that most of us can agree to be thankful for is the progress that has been made with the COVID-19 pandemic. The efforts that have gone into rapid testing and vaccine development, by medical expert reporting, have contributed to the positive progress toward somewhat normal living and going about our daily lives.
Two years ago, many of us were celebrating Thanksgiving alone or with just a few family members within our immediate family household. Last year, we dipped our toes into the sea of normalcy. The phrase ‘attitude of gratitude’ comes to mind as we prepare to gather with family and friends next week. There have been numerous research studies done on the benefits of gratitude and how it has a positive impact on our lives. The Georgia Department of Public Health sites a University of California at Berkley and a Harvard Health study in the article titled Give Thanks on Thanksgiving, which was published in 2018.
“Gratitude forces us to focus on things and people outside of ourselves that make us happy right now, not things we only hope for. According to the University of California at Berkeley, writing a letter of gratitude to someone, for example, whether you send it or not, makes us happier and less depressed, not only momentarily, but over an extended period of time. It’s believed that this one act helps you become more thankful in your daily life, so you look for ways to be grateful, rather than the opposite. This makes you more satisfied and happier, longer.”
