Be grateful for every breath you take

With the start of every November, I notice a familiar change in social media. People start various ?campaigns of gratitude? on Face?book, Twitter and Instagram with the dawning of the month in which Thanks?giving falls.

On the very first day many posts appeared with a #1 followed by a brief description of something that the writer was grateful for in their lives. You know the drill.

Many folks keep up with the postings, adding a number for each successive day until Thanksgiving Day and a few friends will number every day for the next year.

Sadly, I also note some very strong opinions surrounding the recent election battles. I have strong opinions as well, but if what I am posting on social media is not kind toward others or directly about myself, I refrain from making any comment.

You know the old adage, ?If you don?t have anything nice to say, don?t say anything at all.? My parents drilled that into me as a child and I firmly believe it.

What is interesting is a fair number of people who were doing the ?Thanks?giving thing? have some of the most dreadful political posts I have ever read. Ten?sions really are running high and comments still continue to be somewhat dicey in the aftermath of Election Day.

All that being said, this is not a column to reflect my political views. This is about being thankful.

When the month started and I saw all those #1 posts appear I thought that I might like to do that. You know, express all that I have been blessed with and to have 20-odd days to get it all out there. After all, I have plenty to be grateful for, so this should be easy for me.

I put a #1 in my status update box and then started to think about what I should put first. I have an awesome family and wonderful friends. I could start with them. I typed something out, then backspaced all those words away. It didn?t feel right. Not that I am not thankful for them, that?s so obvious.

Maybe that was my problem, I am anything but predictable and I like to mull things over. I read through what some of my other friends had posted. Some had things like ?#1 Vanilla Latte? (which of course I ?liked?). Others had little notes about a home, family or a beloved pet or relative.

I tried again and came up with a whole lot of nothing. I just didn?t know where to start. How could this be so hard for me? I am a blogger. I love to write. It?s my catharsis.

I finally gave up and decided instead to write this very piece you are reading. This is oh so much easier. What is my problem? It finally dawned on me. The way I see it, when you are grateful, beyond words, for each breath you take it leaves you speechless.

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