The holidays stir emotions — memories of what once was, the weight of what is, and the uncertainty of what’s ahead. For caregivers, present or former, those emotions often feel magnified. You’re holding your own needs while tending to someone else’s, or the memory of them. The world keeps turning, even when life feels heavy.
Many caregivers tell us, “I’m exhausted. I’m overwhelmed. I feel like I’m just trying to get through the day.” In that space, gratitude can feel impossibly far away, or even unrealistic.
But what if gratitude isn’t about suddenly feeling thankful? What if it’s simply about noticing?
Practicing gratitude doesn’t require ignoring difficulties or pretending everything is fine. It asks only that you create a moment — even the smallest one — where you allow a little light to find you.
There is research showing that gratitude can:
• Decrease stress
• Improve sleep
• Strengthen the immune system
• Increase resilience
Why? Because what we focus on expands.
What is one small thing, in this exact moment, that deserves your appreciation?
Maybe it’s:
• The warmth of a cup of tea between your hands
• A single flower in bloom
• Someone’s unexpected kindness, or the clerk at the grocery store who offers a smile
• The breath you just took — quiet proof that you are still here
Gratitude shifts the internal conversation. It gently moves your attention from what drains you to what sustains you.
Here is a simple practice to try:
Alongside noticing what is around you, begin each day by writing down three things you are grateful for. Not perfect things. Not big things. Just real things.
Some days your list may feel generous. Other days it may feel like work. Both are okay. Showing up for yourself is what matters.
These tiny shifts matter. Gratitude doesn’t change your circumstances — it changes your capacity to move through them. In the book (which I highly recommend), Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You, Lin-Manuel Miranda writes:
Good night.
Curl up with gratitude.
For the ground beneath you, your beating heart.
Proceed from there.
This Thanksgiving, give yourself permission to pause and notice what is good, even alongside what is hard.
There is still hope.
There is still you.
You are never alone.
We are grateful for you.
Hugs,
Cyndi