As Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself looking less at the calendar and more at the moments. The everyday, ordinary, blink-and-you-miss-them moments. Gratitude doesn’t always arrive with big announcements. Sometimes it shows up in the sound of my kids laughing in the next room, or in the quiet strum of my guitar late at night. As a music mom, I’ve learned that gratitude isn’t just a feeling; it’s a rhythm we choose to play, again and again, even when life feels a little offbeat.
One of the best ways to inspire gratitude is to start naming the gifts right in front of us. I’ve started ending my days by naming three things I am grateful for. Some days it’s big: health, family, music. Other days it’s something small: a warm mug, a solved problem, a hug at just the right time. When I make this routine a habit, it reshapes my day. It trains my mind to look for what’s good, not just what’s stressful.
Another way we build gratitude is by slowing down. We don’t need to fill every hour. Some days, I sit with my family and listen to a favorite song from when I was young. I tell them why it still matters to me. Those conversations help them see the beauty of memory, connection, and tradition. Gratitude grows when we slow down long enough to feel joy instead of racing right past it.
I’ve also learned that gratitude becomes stronger when we share it. I tell my kids what I appreciate about them, and it’s not just their achievements. It’s their kindness, their humor, and their effort. I remind myself to thank the folks around me for the small things, not just the obvious ones. When I express gratitude out loud, I see it more clearly.
We inspire gratitude when we create traditions too. In my family, we’ve written little notes during November describing things we are grateful for, and then we put them in a jar. We read them on Thanksgiving Day. Sometimes we laugh, and sometimes we cry. But every note feels like a little piece of love.
Gratitude also deepens when we look beyond ourselves. My kids and I choose something to give or do for someone else this month, whether it’s a warm meal, handwritten cards, or a simple act of kindness. Nothing teaches gratitude faster than giving. It reminds us that we always have something to offer, even when life feels heavy.
And finally, gratitude means being present. It means listening fully when someone is speaking, looking someone in the eye when you say thank you, and soaking in moments while they’re still here. When we fully live a moment, we appreciate it more. We understand its worth.
Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday on the horizon. It’s a mindset we can carry into every season. Gratitude doesn’t need everything to be perfect. It just asks us to see what’s good, honor who we love, and remember how far we’ve come.
The cool part? We don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to be thankful. We can start today, right here, right now. And we can start with whatever moment is in front of us.
The Music Mom: Eileen Carey 