Exploring Gratitude: Gratefulness According to Webster

I confess – I’ve always had a secret love for the dictionary. I find language to be fascinating, care about the way that things are said, and appreciate the nuances in the choice of one word over another.

I found myself the other day thinking about how we have a tendency to interchange the words thankful and grateful. So I decided to do a little research and what I found really surprised me. It’s changed the way that I look at the idea of gratitude.

Families and the Holidays

Have you ever noticed how different family members handle the holidays? Some are very open and receptive to family getting together and enjoying one another’s time. They enjoy reminiscing about previous time spent with one another, and the hope of new and even happier holiday events resounds with them. However, not all individuals see the holidays as joyous. For those folks past holidays may recreate bad or unhappy memories which are hard to escape.

Memorial Day: Helping a friend honor their fallen soldier

For many people Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer events and vacations. Families gather and set off fireworks, pools open, and women do a lot of shopping…but Memorial Day weekend is also an important time to remember fallen soldiers. This is a day for many to grieve their … Read More

Bringing A Little Humor to your Mother’s Day

Laughter is important for great relationships and to enjoy life. So enjoy laughing with your mother over these jokes about motherhood this Mother’s Day…. What happened to the baby? For weeks, a six-year old boy kept telling his first-grade teacher about the baby brother or sister that was expected at … Read More

What Women Really Want on Valentine’s Day

The day comes very year and men all across American are asking the same question “What do I get her for Valentine’s Day?”. So this year I’m going to give you some tips to answer this question and learn a little about the woman you care about. To answer this … Read More

Is it time for a new beginning?

You can do that you know. As the end of the old year comes to a conclusion one can make New Year resolutions, vows, promises and a host of other pledges which one has the greatest of intentions to keep. However, what do they all mean if the intent is … Read More

Holiday Memorials

The holidays can stir up many different thoughts and feelings. They can remind us of great times we shared with friends and loved ones. How we remember the past has a lot to do with the ways in which we react to situations today. The positive experiences of the past, … Read More

Holiday Stress Inoculation

If only we could alleviate stress as easily as a vaccine in which we would no longer be susceptible to anxiety at all during the holidays.  (The lines would be long and inventory short.) Here are a few strategies to help you prepare for the stress.  First, think about all … Read More

Holiday Stress

When was your last frustrating moment?  We all have them.  Mine was about a minute ago when I could not find my reading glasses. Did you know that the average person faces around 30 frustrations each day. They add up rather quickly.  Usually (for me, anyway) there are stressors simply … Read More