Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and it got me thinking about how much I appreciate my wife. So, I decided to do something special to show her how thankful I am.
I started by making a list. Not just any list, but a list of 50 reasons why I’m grateful for her. It sounds like a lot, but once I got going, it was actually pretty easy. I wrote down all sorts of things, big and small. Stuff like how she always knows how to make me laugh, how she’s an amazing mom to our kids, and even how she makes the best darn cup of coffee in the morning.
While writing the list, I realized how much she does for our family and how often I probably don’t say thank you enough. It was a real eye-opener to see it all written out like that. It also made me recall a study I read once from Harvard Health. It said that couples who show gratitude feel more positive towards each other. I can totally see that.
After I finished the list, I thought about how to present it to her. I didn’t want to just hand her a piece of paper. So, I decided to get a little creative. I took a bunch of sticky notes and wrote each reason on a separate note. Then, when she was out of the house, I stuck them all over the place – on the bathroom mirror, in the kitchen, on the front door. Each one was a little surprise for her to find.
The Big Reveal
- When she got home, she was totally surprised and confused at first.
- But as she started reading the notes, she started to smile and her eyes even got a little watery.
- She went around the house, finding each note and reading it out loud. It was a great moment.
- We ended up spending the evening talking about all the things we appreciate about each other.
It wasn’t about the sticky notes, really. It was about taking the time to really think about our relationship and express my gratitude. It felt good to do it, and I think it made our bond even stronger. I should do this more often, not just on Thanksgiving. Showing your partner that you appreciate them isn’t just a nice thing to do once in a while. I realized that it is important for keeping the relationship healthy and happy.
Expressing gratitude improved our relationship which means it is a necessary part of my life from now on.
