I saw the idea of starting a gratitude jar at the beginning of the new year and sitting down at the end of the year and celebrating all you were grateful for. How fun! I’d read about this idea before, but I thought I’ll just write them down in my journal. I tried in years past and started the exercise, but then quickly returned to only thinking about it and not writing anything down. This year was different!
I’m a visual person so seeing the jar every day has been a good reminder to think about what I’m grateful for and write it down. The jar is in my office where I spend a lot of my time, and I have pre-cut pieces of paper to make it extra easy for me to jot something down.
Often when I’m on a walk the gratefulness pours in. It’s a combination of being in nature, moving my body, and not being focused on anything but what’s in front of me. Hallelujah for that! Other times I’ll have an experience with a friend or stranger that really moves me and I’m so thankful for the connections in my life.
Some days are what I call grateful highs – I have numerous things I’m thankful for and I’m writing on multiple pieces of paper. Other days feel a bit more mundane, but that’s how life is. We have peaks, valleys, and those middle of the road days that may feel monotonous, but I still find something I’m grateful for – like discovering avocados are yummy in smoothies. They make them “Oh so creamy!”
It’s easy to forget all you we were grateful for in an entire year. I’m looking forward to the gift of sitting down on December 31st and reading all the joy-filled colorful little pieces of paper.
Lori Koidahl 
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