Gratitude
From Dr. Shannon Whiteside
When my kids were younger, we started a gratitude journal. Each morning, I would go around the table and ask them what they were thankful for. As I look back over some of their responses, I smile at the simplicity of them. They were thankful for pillows, instruments, birthdays, cows, and smoothies. They were just listing the ordinary things of life that we take for granted. But what if we took the time to be grateful for those ordinary things? Research shows that taking the time to think about what we are thankful for, whether by way of a “gratitude journal” or other gratitude practices, has positive effects on our physical, psychological, and social well-being. Check out this article for more information: Why Gratitude is Good.
Charlotte Mason also had something to say about gratitude.
“Some people have the grace to be tenderly and reverently thankful to the author of a great book, the painter of a great picture––thankful, if less reverently so, to the discoverer of a great invention. What daily and hourly thanks and praise, then, do we owe to the Maker and designer of the beauty, glory, and fitness above our heads and about our feet and surrounding us on every side! From the flower in the crannied wall to the glorious firmament on high, all the things of Nature proclaim without ceasing, ‘Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty’” (Ourselves, p. 100).
Leave a comment below and share what you are grateful for–whether big or small. You can even ask your children and share their responses, as well.
Notes:
- Book Recommendations: Looking for an Easter read? Check out this list of favorite Easter books.
- Office Hours: Here is the link to this week’s Office Hours where we discussed how to best utilize your membership from now until June.
- High School Our Work: At your request, we’ve added an Our Workbook for high school students this year. You can find this resource in the booklists for each grade on your Dashboard.
- Spring Survey Winners: Congratulations, Amanda, Roxanne, Jillisa, Melissa, and Laura! You’ve each won a $25 Amazon gift card—check your inbox! A big thank-you to everyone who participated in our Spring Survey. Your feedback is helpful as we work to serve the Alveary community better. If you didn’t get a chance to take the survey, we’d still love to hear from you!
- NEW! Courses & Certifications: Looking for some structured time studying Charlotte Mason’s ideas and methods? Registration for our summer courses is now open, and, after getting your feedback, we’ve redesigned our certification programs as well!
- Common Place Quarterly: Have you checked out the newest issue of CommonPlace Quarterly yet? This issue is all about books. Inside you will find three articles by CMI staff. For just $25 per year, you can enjoy digital access to all 25 back issues of CPQ, plus the new issues coming out this year! Use code CMIdigital25 at checkout.
- Podcast: New episode on the School Success Podcast featuring CMI Board Chair Dr. Deani Van Pelt! Listen here, and watch for part 2!
- Conference: Session descriptions for the conference are now up! Browse all the workshops and fireside chats and stories we’ll get to enjoy at Guiding with Grace, and make plans to join us today!
- Open House: Know a friend interested in Alveary? Send them this link to sign up for our online Open House.
- Composer Study: If you’re enjoying Bach’s music for Term 3, you might be interested in this online event diving into Bach’s St. Matthew’s passion to augment your composer study lessons this term
Trivia Question: What British magazine of humor and satire did Mason enjoy reading?
Leave your guesses in the comments below, and stay tuned for the answer in next week’s Alveary Weekly!
