A Gentle Thanksgiving Reminder: Gratitude in the Season We’re In

Image: Gemma Pranita

Thanksgiving has a way of putting a soft spotlight on our lives; illuminating the people we love, the moments we often move too fast to notice, and the tiny threads of magic that make up our everyday. It arrives right as the year begins to tilt toward its close, inviting us to pause, breathe, and take stock of the fullness around us. Not the perfect version we sometimes chase… but the honest one we’re living in.

This year, instead of focusing on the “shoulds”, how the day should look, how the table should feel, how our parenting should be, we’re choosing something gentler. We’re choosing gratitude in the season we’re in.

Gratitude that is messy, imperfect, deeply human. Gratitude that makes space for joy and exhaustion and the beautiful chaos of raising kids. Gratitude that reminds us that even when things feel heavy, there are small glimmers of goodness everywhere.

The Gratitude Hidden in the Everyday
When we think about gratitude, it’s easy to imagine big, cinematic moments. The celebrations. The milestones. The picture-perfect family memories.

But so much of real gratitude lives quietly inside the everyday.

It lives in the early-morning cuddles when little feet climb into our beds.
It lives in the way our children notice things we’ve stopped seeing; a bird on a wire, a crooked rainbow drawn in sidewalk chalk, a ladybug resting on a sleeve.
It lives in the “I love you, Mama” whispered when we’re halfway through a day that felt impossible.
It lives in the messy playdough creations, the sticky fingers tugging at our hands, the tantrums that turn into deep breaths and second tries.
It lives in the softness we show ourselves when we don’t get it right the first time… or the tenth.

Gratitude grows in the cracks.
In the interruptions.
In the small graces.

This is the gratitude that sustains us; the quiet, often-overlooked kind that reminds us: you’re doing your best, and that’s enough.


A Moment to Honour Where You Are
Wherever this season finds you, we hope you give yourself permission to honour it.

If you’re tired, may gratitude meet you gently.
If you’re overwhelmed, may gratitude feel like an exhale.
If you’re celebrating, may gratitude deepen your joy.
If you’re grieving, may gratitude offer you a soft place to land.
If you’re navigating something new, may gratitude be the thread that helps you stay grounded.

You don’t need to be in your “best self” era to be worthy of gratitude.
Your current season; with all of its beauty, unpredictability, and unfinished edges — is enough.


The Gift of Modelling Gratitude for Our Children
One of the most extraordinary parts of parenthood is how much our children learn simply by watching us.

When we pause to notice something simple but beautiful; the way light hits the wall, the smell of cookies baking, the warmth of a shared blanket, our children learn to savour the small things too.

When we name the moment:
“I’m grateful for this delicious dinner.”
“I’m grateful we get to be together today.”
“I’m grateful you’re exactly who you are.”

…we teach them that gratitude isn’t a grand gesture.
It’s an everyday practice.
A way of moving through life with softness and attention.


A Thanksgiving Ritual for Your Family
If you’re craving a simple, grounding way to bring gratitude into your home this Thanksgiving, try this:

The Three Quiet Gratitudes
One thing from today you’re grateful for
One thing about your child you’re grateful for
One thing about yourself you’re grateful for

Share them aloud around the table, write them on scraps of paper in a jar, or whisper them to each other before bed. It’s small, but it builds a powerful ritual of connection.


Thank You for Being Here
This community has always been rooted in honesty, warmth, and the reminder that we’re all walking this parenting path together; imperfect, learning, trying, loving.

On this Thanksgiving, we want to say thank you.
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for sharing your stories.
Thank you for letting us be a part of your family’s journey.

We’re grateful for you; today and always.

From our hearts to your home,
Sarah, Teresa and team Your Zen Mama xoxo