Even During the Toughest Day, Having a Gratitude Practice is Helpful

I have had a gratitude practice since 2017. I can’t remember anymore why I decided to start keeping my nightly Gratitude Journal, but my stack of notebooks goes back that far. (If you want to read more about my journal and practice, read this blog post: https://www.thrivewell-being.com/blog/be-grateful-daily )
 
I very rarely miss a night to write in my Gratitude Journal, and I love keeping it for two main reasons. First, it’s a lovely, positive way to end my day. It’s special to think about these happy things that filled my day just as I turn out my light. The second reason I love it is that it helps me look for things to be grateful for throughout out the day. It helps strengthen my gratitude practice.
 
While I know and appreciate both of these benefits, I more fully came to realize how helpful a gratitude practice is recently when my dad died. Losing a parent is one of the worst things one can go through, and it has impacted me in many ways, both seen and unseen. While I may reflect on this more in future blog posts, I want to focus on how my gratitude practice helped me through this incredibly painful, stressful time.
 
My dad had a stroke a year and a half ago, and he was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few months later. His decline was startling fast, and he moved into a memory care facility in January. As he was declining cognitively, I was very appreciative of the times I had with him and the moments we were able to share.
 
In June, my dad was hospitalized after a seizure and then admitted to Hospice. My husband and I flew down, and we had 8 days with my dad in Hospice before he died. During this period, I was very grateful for many things. I was grateful for the times that he was able to tell me that he loved me and wanted kisses. We could share these special moments of love.  I was so grateful for all the support I got during this unreal, painful time. Friends checked in on me and reached out regularly. Just to know someone cared and was thinking of me really helped. I was grateful my dad wasn’t suffering. And I connected so much to my gratitude that I had a dad for 88 years. Not many are as lucky as I was.
 
It actually surprised me that I could so strongly be aware of these things I appreciated and really feel them in my body. I don’t think I had realized that my gratitude practice had become so ingrained in me.  Being able to tap into these positive feelings helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life. For that, I am grateful.