“Life is a big canvas, throw all of the paint onto it that you can” ~ Danny Kayne
Baby Sam – 21 months old – August 2017
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I hope this Tuesday morning finds you happy and well. How was your weekend?
At our house, we've been new(ish) car shopping and grandson visiting. Which (of course), is one of my favorite things to do. On the laziest of Sunday afternoons, we ate melty ice cream cones, bought match-box cars from a country flea market, and played a game of “I spy whooping cranes in and amongst the lily pads.”
A reminder that we all need a little spark sometimes. A break from our every days. A chance to throw a little confetti (or sprinkles) into the air. A bit of whipped cream on top. A little something-something. With the people that make you smile
— —
Driving home that night, there were so many things I wanted to remember about the day. So many things I was thankful for. At the top of the list?
What amazing parents they are. How they could have taught me a thing or two back in the day when my kids were little. How, even at a young age, they're setting high expectations without constant nagging, bribing, or ultimatums.
As his mom was packing a bag for the day, she called out to him, “Thank you for picking a few toys to bring along.”
No nagging. No reminders. No request. Just a simple thank you for a task he'd yet to finish. Sure enough, one-by-one he filled the bag with some of his favorites
My eyes widened, and with her sweet smile, she explained
“We've decided to always assume the best; that he's smart, and knows what we want him to do. As he gets older and is given a bit of freedom, I know he'll live up to our expectations.”
By extending gratitude for something ahead of time, she's telling him what she'd like him to do, that she trusts him to do it, and offers a reward (a simple thank you) for taking care of it. Genius
She added
“I don't often use the word please, because most of my requests aren't negotiable.”
A small reminder to myself: Lead with gratitude
Baby Sam – 21 months old – August 2017
I'm following her example today, with another installment of #ForThisIAmGrateful. A few excerpts from my gratitude journal from this past week
Midnight drives with the rain sliding down your windowpane
An action figure on your desk (bonus points if it's Spiderman or The Incredible Hulk)
Fall cooking magazines in the check-out lane
Someone who tells you you're beautiful
Laundry zero
Kitty forts on the sofa
Foods that no one can eat gracefully: corn on the cobb, melty ice cream cones, too-full tacos, fresh from the garden juicy tomatoes, homemade salsa running down your chin
A goldfinch at the bird feeder
The purrr from a kitty named Lucy
“Happiness is the day your Mom brings the plants in” ~ Love Lucy
Planning a September road trip out west. On the must-visit list? Colorado and Montana
Reminding yourself “this too shall pass.”
Watching out for traffic, holding hands, and sticking together
Messages in bottles, all collected from the Mississippi River
Forgiveness before 7 am, new mercies with a side of bacon
Expert Lego sets, Saturday naps, and Netflix evenings with your husband
The first lemme-grab-another-layer summer evening
Whispering in bed before falling asleep
Sunday supper pancakes; a (finally) perfected chicken pot pie
Your son and his family waving goodbye and blowing kisses from their window
What are you grateful for this week?
93 Comments
I am thankful for people that have this kind of thinking. Not everybody takes the time to notice how lucky and happy they are, and how people are in general, pretty awesome!
Thanks for this post, Ali. Today my grateful list is:
Baked kale fresh out of the oven
My baby’s first word is mamamama over and over and over
My very tidy husband who washes dishes, folds clothes, and tends to our garden
Today I’m grateful for: playing hooky for a day at the beach with my husband. The view out my kitchen window, and Ella Fitzgerald on vinyl record
I’m grateful for green tea, sunny CA days, and girlfriends who laugh w/me (not at me). Love your blog! xx
Grateful today for 1. my 5 wk old being asleep (11:16 pm); 2. my husband; 3. waking up – Happy!
I love keeping a gratitude journal, it makes such a difference to my day! I started one when I broke up with my boyfriend last year, and now months on I love looking back on all of the good things that happened during such an awful time.
My three things: the cool change that finally came through (we’ve been in a heatwave for 10 days!), extra-hot hot chocolates in the morning (served by a handsome barista) and sweet letters from my lovely boyfriend.
Three people for whom I’m grateful: my children and my husband. There other, every day things for which I am grateful today: thin mint cookies, being able to text a friend when going insane with stubborn children, and leftover pizza! 🙂
I’ve started to do this daily with my 7 year old son. In bed each night, before he goes to sleep, we name 3 things for which we are grateful, then 3 things that we could do better the next day. I’m hoping it will help to combat some of the more-more-more societal pressures.
Chinese takeout on a gloomy rainy day, the promise of cooler weather soon (goodbye sundresses and hello sweaters!), and my upcoming trip to Chicago in September where I’ll get to spend my birthday with my family!
Leaving work (and getting home) … wedding planning (and the man who made it possible) … and my rowing machine!
Over this past week:
1. Being able to share good music with my best friend
2. Someone picking something up for me that I’d left behind (forgotten). It just made me feel so relieved
and finally,
3. That after a long week of work and school, the weekend is finally here to brighten things up. Hooray!
I love your grateful list. I’m always a fan when there is no laundry. It’s very rare. And we have pancakes for supper on Sundays often! So easy and delicious.
Interesting how our children are teaching us how they are raising their children and doing a great job. Enjoy those grandkids we love ours to death.
I love reading this because I think a lot of people take stuff for granted. I like to stop in list the things that I’m grateful for as a reminder that life is short and you need to enjoy it. I am so grateful for my family.
I am so insanely envious of the rain you get where you live. I cannot remember the last time I saw rain and I think I officially have REVERSE S.A.D!!
I love how much love and respect you have for your grandsons parents! It seems like so many grandparents try and fix what how their children parents!
It’s always a good weekend spent when it’s with people who make you smile like family. I guess parenting then was more of rules than negotiations, which I think is better as it would get to let the kids know boundaries and limitations early on.
What a great reminder… it’s easy to take more time to complain than be thankful. Our kids need us to be the example for them!
I am grateful for my health. Although I have had my fair share of struggles, so many are dealing with far worse. I am also grateful for my home and family. Thinking of the many in Texas who have no home to go to and who have missing or deseased loved ones from the flooding. My heart goes out to them but also helps me be thankful for life even more!
I love your list! I’m grateful for fall on the magazines too! As much as I love the warmth, nothing beats fall. I’m thankful that even though I had to spend a bunch of money at the vet today for shots and flea/heartworm meds, I have a dog and kitties to love and provide for!
My cousin, her husband and their son came to stop at my parents, so we’ve spent most of the long weekend there, having lots of cuddles with baby.
I love your gratitude list, sometimes we really do forget to be grateful for all the little things around us.
Awwe I wish my two years old daughter jas a grandmum like that. My mum lives in Thailand and my mother in law passed away a few years ago. Btw you don’t look like a grandmum!
I am grateful for my daughter but at the same time quite annoyed at her!? You know I am a stay at home mum who hasn’t had her alone time ever since the little one was born!
Aww baby Sam is so adorable! This cheeks omg! Aw I can’t get over them.
As far as my weekend goes. I went down to visit my parents which was really nice!
It’s really refreshing to read an article where someone is just so pure of heart!! You’re doing an amazing job! Never forget that!
It’s really nice sometimes to just sit down and realise the things you’re doing and how amazing you are as a person because sometimes you really need to hear it from yourself .
Wow, the way your parents are is the same way I was with my son when he was little. I never nagged him, I just thanked or asked him to do whatever politely as if it were the first time. He eventually got it and became very helpful around the house. Until he became a teenager 🙂
I like the idea of leading with gratitude. That’s a very positive way to live and clearly it helps establish good behavior in children.
I am grateful for sloppy ungraceful food too because it is comforting and reminds us that we don’t need to hold back, after all food is there to be enjoyed! I really like the sound of messages in a bottle too, that would be a wonderful way of instilling gratitude in our lives x
Baby Sam is so adorable! And I love the approach of ‘assuming’ that the child already has his toys packed. I will have to try this technique! I am odd….I actually enjoy doing laundry!
I really enjoyed this grateful list. I am trying so hard to remember to count my blessings and I think writing them down is a great idea. Also, I feel like you must be the best Grandma and mom! Often Moms feel like they know best and tend to micromanage how their kids parent. I love that you are the complete opposite and you recognize that your children are doing a great job.
Pretty smart mom there! Motivating by thanking before hand – very good job mom! Our weekend was okay – I was sick but pulled through just in time for Monday lol. Have a great week! Thanks for sharing some of your weekend!
What a beautiful reminder to be present and in the moment. Hearing you are beautiful is always a win. For me? So my niece and nephew, the beach, my convertible, and 75 degree days.
What a wonderful grateful list. I do the same thing with my kids often. Although I usually say please, they know it is to be polite, not because it is a request..
I am grateful for my wonderful kids, one who is in remission from cancer. I am grateful that our area is experiencing cooler weather. I enjoyed reading your list. It was thought provoking!
Sounds like you had a great weekend with family. I love hearing the bond of grandparents with grand kids. WE are so lucky to have my parents live near us so they can enjoy saturdays like this with our kids. SO special.
I am most grateful for a husband who is better than most. He does aggravate me at times, but overall I’m blessed to have him in my life. Next, I’m grateful for my three kiddos. They bring a smile to my face.
What a wonderful grateful list. We just have to enjoy and go with the flow. Sam is so adorable. I love him. 🙂
My things of gratitude right now? 1. The warmth and near daily sunshine here in Santa Barbara, even at the end of summer. I think having grown up in New England really makes me feel happy for this and I have yet to feel desensitized to it even if we have the same weather nearly every single day. 2. Making a career out of doing exactly what I love. and 3. Having my husband and dog waiting for me to come to bed in the other room.
I absolutely love your list from your gratitude journal. Baby Sam look super cute. When I read about your bond with him and your love it reminds me of my grandparents; I miss them dearly.
There’s so much I’m grateful for, one of the recent things was nice weather over bank holiday weekend as it made such a difference x
If there is one thing I am grateful for today, it would be that my son did the dishes and the laundry without being asked to do so. I guess he saw me up the whole night last night trying to meet deadlines with my work. For that, I am grateful.
I love the idea of leading with gratitude. I hate nagging (at work and at home lol!) so this seems like the perfect solution. So many things to be grateful for!
Beautifully written. I love how you can relish into the wonderful parents that your children are. My parents also told me that they are proud of how I am raising my children. The next generation must respect each generation ahead of and behind it.
I’m grateful for lunch with my daughter who’s home from college and my mom! Playing Pachabel’s canon with my violin students. This gorgeous soothing melody always makes me smile. A cinnamon coffee that warmed me up on this rainy day!
This is genius. Thanks for posting!
Today I am thankful for the weekends spent with friends, the hundreds of birds singing outside, and homework done early.
Cats purring is one of my most favorite sounds (and feels) in the world. It’s been a rough week and truthfully I guess I’m grateful we’re alive.
Love your list and I love practicing gratitude!! this week I’m grateful for a lot of things – my dear father in law suffered from a heart attack but thankfully made it through and is now on the mend! I’m grateful for the man who found him and called emergency services. For the police who were driving past, saw what was happening, stopped and gave him CPR. For the surgeons and doctors and nurses who have given him wonderful care over the past week. And I’m grateful that our family is all still together. Always worthwhile counting the blessings x
What a great grateful list. Sounds like you had wonderful visit with family. That is always a nice feeling.
Too many beautiful reasons to be grateful..Love the way positivity comes out from these lists! I’m grateful for planning a friends hangout next week and planning to visit an orphanage!
Leading with gratitude is such an amazing way to parent. I wish I would have done that with my girls. You have so many wonderful things to be thankful for. Today, I am thankful for sunshine, a husband who let me sleep after my infusion, and a short line at Starbucks.
I love the idea of leading with gratitude! I am always trying to be on the positive side with life, yes their are tough times but most of the time the way we think of things and handle things has a great influence.
It is so important to be grateful for everything we have. I like to start each day thinking about all the blessings I have in my life. I have always wanted to go to Colorado. I will have to see if I can make it there this winter.
Those cookies are ridiculously cute. Right now I am grateful for my kiddos and my awesome husband!
I love the idea of leading with gratitude, it sounds like the little one is blessed with a fantastic family ?
Nice read. This week I’m grateful being able spend quality time with the orphans and raise money for them by helping them selling their hand-made things.
What you’ve written is so inspiring, you really appreciate everything in your life.
God bless you more happiness, Ali 🙂
If i will make my own list, it will take forever. 🙂
However, I am grateful for every morning the nature gave me chance to wake up and start my day with smile 🙂
This is such an insightful post and I especially loved the quote about how life is a canvas — I truly agree with that! I actually love this post’s theme and I’d love to come up with my own! For sure, what I’m thankful for this week are the opportunities that come my way and the good health of my loved ones <3
Oh, Alison! How I love the way you write. Each and every word sparks inspiration. I’m speechless. There are lot many blessings to be grateful for every single day but sometimes in the rush called life we forget to express our gratitude. Starting each day with a grateful heart brightens our lives 🙂
Baby Sam is adorable! God bless him! “No nagging. No reminders. No request. Just a simple thank you for a task he’d yet to finish.” I needed this parenting tip 🙂
Thank you so much for being such an inspiration!
I love this. Its so important to be grateful for all the little things in life. The more grateful you are for those things the more things you will find to be grateful for in life, that’s what I was always told. I love the thought of those midnight drives on a rainy night with the music on in the car and of course kitty purrs (I have 2 cats).
You truly have so much to be grateful for, I mean especially that cutie patootie grandson of yours he is absolutely darling.
When you take time to reflect on your life and be grateful for the things you have. Life blesses you with even more blessings. Your grandson is so adorable! I love those cookies too. Good luck with the car shopping, hope you find the best car ever.
I love the concept of this post, it’s all about gratitude! Also, how freakin’ cute baby Sam is?? <3
A wonderful post, just the perfect sort of pick me up when Life gets the better of you. This avo-cookies are just the best!
I love the idea of parenting by leading with gratitude. Keeping a gratitude list, like this one, is such a lovely thing to do. Recently I am grateful for my daughter who is so helpful and becoming amazing company as she gets older and my friends for always supporting me and each other.
This week, I am thankful for positive changes in the making. I am thankful for my adult son who comes to visit me regularly. I am thankful for my husband who never fails to tell me he loves me. I am blessed.
I’m thankful for: Women who are inspired to write blogs. Being inspired to start my own, and freedom of speech
I think we all take things for granted quite often. Thanks for even the smallest things can be greatly appreciated as can small gifts to show you are grateful when another has helped. This week I am grateful the schools are opening soon as I am struggling.
I just love this, Ali! I’m grateful for my mom, who would leave her house at the drop of a hat to come to mine and help our family. And to my father, who would support her leaving by make himself pot pies. Mud season, because without it, the wild trillium cannot grow. Ginger tea. Hot hot hot ginger tea.
A majority of your list match up with my mental one! I never noticed how many things (or even people) I take for granted. Lately, I’ve been in a really bad funk, which makes staying positive super hard at times. I really want to start keeping a mini journal to give myself that extra boost.
Sunbathing on my terrace, a lonely peaceful moment staring at the sea and listening “I’ve been loving you” by Otis Redding. ps: Your grandson is just too adorable! xx
Very cute kid … Love the way you narrate the post, feels like talking to a friend in person. To your list I would add:
+ Having a happy and loving relationship
+ Being friends with my mom
+ My favorite quilt in the summer time <3
My weekend was quite busy like other days. I love how much love and respect you have for your grandson’s parents! Baby Sam is so cute <3
When a read the words “gratitude journal” I immediately grabbed a tiny notebook with Tour D’Eiffel on it that has been waiting for a purpose on my desk for quite a while. Now i know what ro do with it! Thank you so much, Ali. Oh, and everything is going to be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, it’s not the end 🙂
Very beautiful post on reminding us #I am grateful to……. First of all I am grateful to you for reminding us that I should realize on being grateful for… after reading this. I really loved 21 month old cute Sam. Beautiful thoughts on gratitude. I have started my list on being grateful for….. It is endless.
I really love this grateful list.. There are lots of blessings to be grateful for every single day but sometimes we forget to express our gratitude. I’m grateful to have people in my life who care about my growth as if it’s part of their own. I’m grateful to be loved and to be able to love.Thank you so much for sharing this post!
I like that words “Lead with gratitude”. I believe that expressing appreciation is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Which means, start by giving thanks if you want to be a happier person.
I love your article, it made me smile. Your grateful list is great! I really like the idea of expecting a child to do something and thanking them in advance, it sure beats nagging!
Have you read The Magic? I’m reading it and its all about being grateful! Definitely good for happiness levels. x
1. The opportunity to follow my dreams by being in school
2. Still having vegetables in my fridge that haven’t gone bad
3. Finding enough quarters to do laundry because I waited until the last possible minute
I’m very stressed about an upcoming combined physiology-neuroscience-anatomy-embryology exam but this puts it all into perspective.
I love this post, it’s so positive and uplifting, and shows that even the smallest things can make an impact on someone’s day – reminding us that compliments, smiles and being helpful is a gift that’s free x
I enjoyed reading this post! Love your gratitude list. Reminding yourself “this still will pass” is wonderful and which is something I tell myself everytime something bad happens. I am planning to have a gratitude journal and write onething I am grateful about everyday
These are a great list of things to be grateful for. Hope the trip out west is amazing. Colorado and Montana are definitely must sees. As far as things I am grateful for . . . I am grateful for parents who love me, a daughter who is bright and amazing, an opportunity to work with great people and for ways that I can express myself on my blog. Thanks (as always) for the reminder to be grateful!
This is so beautiful to make a list of things you are grateful for. Me? I’m grateful for double dates. Whispering in bed before falling asleep. Swimming at night. Toddlers’ funny round bellies. x
Your grandson is such a cutie! Love those curls! I’m grateful for Trader Joe’s chocolate covered almonds, late summer days, and chatting with my mom on the phone. Oh, and also the etiquette section of the New York Times! Love your site, Ali. xx
This is a good read! True that it’s okay to break from our daily norm and do something different. I’m grateful for my family, and thankful for my little guys who’s kind and well behave. Have a great weekend!
I loved reading your list, there is always something to be grateful in every situation. I am grateful that that I have lovely friends and family that are always supportive of what I do.
I would say … My toddler daughter in deep concentration when she reads Curious George or the sports section of the NY Times, a good cappucino, linking arms with a good friend while walking. Also swimming in lakes, summer in LA, and seeing art that makes me think!
Ginny
I learned early on to not make requests (demands) that can be seen as negotiable when dealing with little ones.
A friend started a blog based on the concept of being thankful for one thing every day for a year. She’s kept it up past her “deadline,” but what she wrote about her year was this: “I like to think that it’s no coincidence that the year in which i decided to [literally] count my blessings ended up being the best year of my life.” It struck me as such a beautiful thought.
At this very moment I’m grateful I get to work from home. I’m so grateful for a loving husband who supports my dreams. And because I’m super exhausted this morning I’m grateful for my big coffee pot. You’re right! I do feel better. 😉
reminds me to think about what I am grateful for and I do tweets quite often regarding what I am thankful for that day. Sometimes it takes that moment to stop and reflect about what you do have rather than dont. Great post
This is ABSOLUTELY genius! I am going to use the “thanks in advance” more. I am often in such a go go mode that sometimes I can come off sharp even in it’s not intentional. Both through text, in person, etc. This is such a great reminder to slow down. I am going to try this more and more! Thank you!
I’m soooo grateful for my husband!! His like a super mom
I am grateful that I get the chance to keep trying every day for what I did not accomplish the day before. I am grateful that I have the chance to tell the people in my life that I love them every day. I am grateful that I am learning to grow as a person every day.
Thank you for the reminder, it comes at a much needed time in my life as someone close to me is ailing. It’s tough not to get caught up in the worries & important to remember that life (& death) will happen whether we acknowledge it or not.
I’m gratful for my family and my cats and kind people
This is such a great list! I too am thankful when there is no laundry! However, I also love the reminding yourself that this too shall pass. That is something that we don’t always remind ourselves at times when we need it the most! Great post, thanks for sharing!