Lindsay Melhoff

“It’s a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation” - said by Roberto Benigni.

Gratitude and appreciation often get left at the curb.  It seems like in today’s capitalist society, the notion of doing someone a favor is long gone and gratitude is even closer to extinction.  For most people, a simple thank-you and I appreciate your efforts would suffice, but this once noble and frequent courtesy has somehow been lost in the times. Gratitude is slipping, both internally and externally. It is not just unlikely to encounter gratitude out in the world, but it is just as uncommon in your own home.

I’m sure everyone’s experienced one of those days where no matter what you say or do, things just stay gloomy. Being grateful in those times is the challenge. It is easy to be thankful when things are going your way, but in tough times, gratitude is even more scarce than usual.

Sarah Ban Breathnach wrote a book nearly ten years ago called Simple Abundance, which helps its reader become a more grateful person. She is insistent that gratitude can change your life, in a huge way. She challenges the reader to keep a Gratitude Journal and write down five things each day that they are grateful for. And it’s not just the big things; it’s not just health, happiness and love that one should be grateful for but the little things that make life worthwhile.

So I challenge you to do the same, whether five a day or five a week, take time to be grateful and, like Ban Breathnack says, it will change you life.

My sister and I escorted my cousin trick-or-treating this year, or at least we ended up being escorts. We went with the intention of getting candy for ourselves but learnt in a hurry that we are a little too old to trick-or-treat. Between the glares from home-owners and the costumed kids half our size, it became obvious in a hurry that we had outgrown this wonderful tradition.

You know you are too old to trick-or-treat when…

…you got your costume in Vegas!