1,000 things to be thankful for

It all started with a darling little girl who thought my name was “Charlotte.” She gave me a new name—“Charlotte”—when I met her. When I heard that name, I thought, “I think I like that.” This little girl, having just seen the movie Charlotte’s Web, was obviously touched by it.

If you have watched the movie, you know it is about a talking spider and how she inspires and helps a little pig, Wilbur, find out who he is. She helps him step into his destiny.

When I posted this comment on my facebook page,  “A little girl just called me “Charlotte”; I think I like it,” I didn’t know what would transpire.

My friend Anne Stock from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, had asked me to come and be the speaker at their women’s conference. I did not know that they would use this facebook comment and turn it into the title for that conference. When I got to Harrisburg for the conference, I found in my room the brochure, and it was all done in facebook form. Included in this brochure was the facebook conversation of me posting that comment. The first responder was Anne, and she had insight into what the little girl had done in giving me that name.

The name of the conference was called Charlottes Unite. It was a conference for connection women, encouraging each other in who we were.

At the end of the conference, Anne was speaking and sharing about a gal who had at one time written down 1,000 things that she was thankful for. While she spoke, she had us begin to write things down that we were thankful for. As I began to write, I could feel a good feeling coming on me and on others in the room. The very room was changing its atmosphere.

There is something about being thankful that changes everything around us. Being thankful is a very easy thing. It is a choice that we make every day and at times, every minute. It’s simple: if you want to change the air around you and change your heart, choose to be thankful.

I wrote down simple things that would come to my memory. Things like picking blackberries, making jam, watching my husband catch a fish and the look on his face when he does, watching little girls play pretend. As I began to write, I realized there is so much to be thankful for. This will not be hard, writing down a thousand things. So, when I got home, I decided I would do that.

I really like facebook and post many things on there. So I posted on my facebook that I had started writing down 1,000 things I’m thankful for. Many people responded. One gal came up with a plan. I like it when people come up with a good plan. She decided that she would do it, too, but would turn it into a 40-day thankfulness. Every day for 40 days she would write down 25 things that she was thankful for. What a great idea. I decided to join in that plan. So, I’m into my third day and am excited to see what will be put to paper today. Another day of thankfulness—can’t beat that. You should think about that, and when you do, you will start seeing in your head those things that you are thankful for. For me, they are things like seeing one of my trees bloom in spring, boys eating worms, baby chicks, the contrast between the blue sky and the green grass.

So start writing, and change your day. Let’s walk in thankfulness.

Charlottes, let’s unite and bring thankfulness wherever we go and start a chain reaction all around us.