Thanksgiving is a great time to give thanks! What are you thankful for?
By Shelley Widhalm
Giving thanks is a given for Thanksgiving, and the way my family and I said thank you added fun and creativity to last year’s holiday.
My brother and I had visited our mother at her assisted living place for the noon meal. Before the staff served the traditional fare of turkey, stuffing, potatoes and cranberries, the volunteer director of activities told the 50 or so people in the room to find their tags next to the silverware and write what they were thankful for.
My first one was easy because it was about my dog, Zoey. I wrote “My dog, Zoey,” and my mom said, “I knew you’d write that one.”
Next, I put my apartment, because I love it and where I live, feeling like it’s the first place that’s a perfect fit and so me. I also love books, and I love writing and the fact that I love to write, but my list could go on.
The important thing I saw from the activity is to take a moment to reflect—not just on Thanksgiving but every day. Here are a few reasons I’m thankful for writing.
Writing is A Way:
- To be creative.
- To play around with words and language.
- To improve your understanding of words and how to be concise with language and how to effectively get the message across.
- To have a hobby (or a job) that can result in a physical product.
- To figure out what you really think or feel about something.
- To express yourself, using your intelligence and creative mind at the same time.
- To make connections with text, memory or experiences that you might not otherwise make by thinking or talking.
- To tell stories and disappear into another world, where you don’t see the page and can’t tell that you’re writing.
What is the End Result?
It’s interesting to see what you create after spending a few minutes or hours on a story or essay. It’s a process of discovery that also can give you a sense of accomplishment after completing the project, meeting a word or time goal or reaching the final page of that first or 12th draft.
What are you thankful for? What parts of writing make you grateful that you love to write?