Gratitude - It's the Little Things

I'm sure you've been seeing the same "Grateful Posts" on Facebook that I've been seeing. It is a fun thing for people to do and a great reminder of how lucky we are. Quite heartwarming, in fact. The other day, after picking Britt up from school, I found myself wishing people would be more grateful every day, all the time, for the little things. What inspired this thought, you ask?
Well, I'll tell you what inspired it - me and my judgmentalism, mostly. But let me explain before you judge me for being judgy. Here is what happened - I stopped the pickup so a mom and her child could cross the street safely in front of us at the school. No, she wasn't crossing in the crosswalk. You know what I do when someone does this for me? I WAVE AT THEM AND SAY "THANK YOU," EVEN IF THEY CAN'T HEAR ME. At least they can see I am grateful. So yah, it irritated me that she just expected me to stop and didn't even acknowledge my good gesture. Petty of me, I know.
But let's look at the big picture, here. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we were all just a little more grateful in the small moments of our lives? If that lady had been so kind as to wave her thanks to me, or to simply nod her head, I would have waved or smiled back, and we both would have felt better.
I realize she may have been stressed out or had other things on her mind. That happens to everyone. I get that. I still think if we were all just a little kinder and more free with thankful, positive words and gestures, the world would be a happier place. Which brings me to my next thought, why is it so hard for people to be grateful?
Sure, we see an influx of gratitude during the month of November. Why not all year long? It is my humble opinion that the simple act of giving thanks is one of the secrets to life. In the bible, it is a constant theme. In the old testament, they give thanks to God. In the new testament, they give thanks to God. It should be a natural, normal, every day part of our lives, to really and truly stop and think about how lucky we are, how grateful we should be for this beautiful life we've been given. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - appreciation is good for the soul. It benefits the Giver and the Givee. A win-win for everyone, no matter if you're thanking God or something so insignificant as a car stopping to let you pass safely in front of them.
I won't get on my soapbox, as I have done many times before, about people writing thank you cards and whatnot. But I do hope this little blog post will inspire even one person to focus on their manners and to be more aware, to go that extra mile to say thank you, no matter how menial the task. Thank you!