Gratitude is easy when life feels good. When things are falling into place, when the sun is shining, when the to-do list is manageable, it’s natural to feel thankful.
But what about the seasons that feel heavy? The ones where plans fall apart, grief lingers, or life just doesn’t look the way you imagined?
That’s where gratitude becomes less of a feeling and more of a practice, something you gently choose, even when it’s hard.
Learning Gratitude the Hard Way
When I first moved to Florida, I thought I was entering my “perfect” season. I had sunshine, space, and the promise of a fresh start.
Last Thanksgiving, I got to spend the first one in years with my mom since she had lived in Florida for years and I was in New Jersey. Life was feeling pretty good. My mom wasn’t sick yet and I had just moved into my new Florida home a few days before Thanksgiving. But within weeks, my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and my life shifted overnight. Between full-time work and caregiving, my days blurred into exhaustion. Gratitude wasn’t the first thing on my mind.
Yet, looking back, that was the season that changed my understanding of thankfulness completely.
It wasn’t about pretending everything was okay. It was about noticing the tiny, sacred moments that were.
Like morning coffee before starting my work day and nightly caregiving for my mom, the sound of rain on the window when we were both too tired to talk, the quiet grace in realizing that love, even in grief, is something to be thankful for.
Redefining What Gratitude Means
Gratitude isn’t about ignoring the hard parts of life. It’s about finding meaning within them.
Some seasons will be smooth; others will challenge you in ways you never expected. But gratitude helps you hold both truth and tenderness at once.
It’s saying:
“I’m tired, but I’m still grateful.”
“I wish things were different, but I can still see beauty here.”
“I don’t have everything I want, but I have what matters most.”
🌸 How to Practice Gratitude When Life Feels Imperfect
1️⃣ Start Small
Write down one thing, just one, that brings comfort. A person, a sound, a moment of rest. Gratitude doesn’t need to be big to be powerful.
2️⃣ Acknowledge Both Joy and Pain
Gratitude doesn’t mean pretending everything’s fine. It means being honest about your reality and open to what’s still good within it.
3️⃣ Look for Connection
In my hardest days, gratitude often came from others, the nurse who smiled at my mom, the friend who texted just to check in, the stranger who held the door.
4️⃣ Slow Down Enough to Notice
We miss so much when we’re rushing. Gratitude lives in the present moment, not the next one.
5️⃣ Reflect, Don’t Perform
Gratitude isn’t about lists or perfection. It’s about perspective. When you write or speak it from the heart, it shifts everything.
Imperfect Seasons Still Hold Beauty
Even now, as life feels steadier, I try to carry that same awareness. Noticing sunsets on my evening walks. Laughing when the dogs do something silly. Appreciating quiet evenings that used to feel lonely but now feel peaceful.
This will be my first Thanksgiving without my mother and I know it is going to be a tough one. The truth is: gratitude doesn’t make hard things disappear. It helps you live through them with a softer heart. I am thankful that I chose to move to Florida when I did and was able to spend time with my mom that I otherwise would not have had. I am thankful for the friends that still reach out to check in. I am thankful that I discovered my love of paddle boarding. I am thankful for the warmer weather in Florida. And so much more. Some days are harder than others, but I can always find something small to be grateful for, even on the most difficult and chaotic days.
So if this season of your life isn’t what you pictured, take a deep breath. Look around. You don’t have to wait for perfection to be thankful.
There’s still beauty here.
You might also like ’10 Gratitude Journal Prompts for Thanksgiving Week’
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