For the past several years, I have used social media to share my "30 Days of Thanks" with my friends and family. Since we celebrate "Thanksgiving" in November, I thought it would be fun to do a daily FaceBook post of "I'm thankful for.....". This started from an idea I got from a friend of mine. When I started, I was pleasantly surprised by how many people seemed to respond positively to my daily sharing. I even had some people remind me if I had neglected to post on a particular day. Many of my friends and family actually began doing their own "30 Days of Thanks".
The first week of posts were typically thankfulness for faith, family, friends, career, health, etc....you know, the BIG things. But after that first week, you really have to stop and think about all the other things you have to be thankful for, that may not jump right to the top of the list...the little things in life we may take for granted. Some days I post silly things (like my first post for today....."Day 1: I'm thankful for my Starbucks coffee served in the first holiday cup!"), some days are more reflective....but the posts have always given me pause to stop, take a breath and think about what the Good Lord has done for me and continues to do every day. I have a tremendous amount to be thankful for, and I believe it is an honor to have a medium to share that thankfulness with others, as I enjoy sharing in their thoughts as well.
As I started my "30 Days of Thanks" this year, I was reminded of little Emma. My family and I met Emma during our time at the NIGP Forum. While in Orlando, we participated in the Public Servants Doing Public Service event at Give Kids the World. Emma was recovering from major surgery and preparing for another surgery, all in an effort to extend her young life. She had such a powerful impact on my family and I, that I find myself thinking of her often. She is a constant reminder of how trivial many of our "challenges" in life truly are and she is certainly a reminder of how precious life is. Emma reminded me it's the simple things in life, like eating ice cream for breakfast, that we need to remember to stop and enjoy. And, amidst our crazy, busy schedules and lives, it's important to take time to just enjoy life, enjoy our families and just be thankful. So, in that spirit, I invite you to join me in sharing what you are thankful for with your own friends and family. And, if you are on Facebook or just would like to share on nSite, I'd love to hear/read about it too!
I'm thankful for a wonderful profession and NIGP!