As Thanksgiving approaches, my attention was drawn to a seemingly small story that appeared in the news in the past week, that of Violet and Allen Large, the 70-something Canadian couple who in July won $11 million in the lottery. Within the last 4 months, they gave it all to various charities, from their local fire department to health research organizations. Mrs. Large is in treatment for cancer, which has highlighted for them the limits of money and things. She said, “What you never had, you never miss,” and "The money we won was nothing. We have each other."
Imagine if we all met each day with such recognition of the gifts which are present in our lives. Imagine if, through our modeling as adults, we could inculcate such an attitude in our children. Powerful research on gratitude that I have cited a number of times has found that “people who remember to give thanks every day feel better, have more energy, are better liked, and are likely to be more successful.” Cultivating a regular habit of gratitude also has been found to lead to higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, and optimism, and lower levels of stress and depression.
Thanksgiving can be a useful reminder to focus ourselves and our children on the bounty that surrounds each of us, especially in the people we love. These gifts are always profound, but are perhaps all the more meaningful in these challenging times. Ultimately, as the Larges’ story suggests, one of the most important legacies we can pass on to our children is a consistent recognition of the blessings embedded in our everyday lives. I send my best wishes to you and your family for a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.