“An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day.”
I wish I could say that I came up with that line myself. Actually, the zinger is the brainchild of the late Irv Kupcinet, a legendary gossip columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Honestly, I’m much quicker when it comes to thinking of witty or caustic remarks than finding ways to express heartfelt emotions. That’s why, like a lot of scrappers, I tend not to journal as much in layouts. I simply don’t feel as though I can articulate my innermost thoughts, so I don’t even try.
Unfortunately, when creating Thanksgiving page designs it helps to add at least a few words to enhance the theme of the day-—gratitude. Recently, I spent nearly an hour trying to come up with an original way to express my appreciation for all the blessings in my life. My goal was to use chalk or watercolor paints to selectively highlight words from my musings on my Thanksgiving layout.
Forget it.
I struggled for so long trying to pen what I was truly feeling that I finally turned to the experts for help.
The following are some of the poems I am using in my Thanksgiving-themed scrapbook:
“Thou hast given so much to me, Give one thing more, – a grateful heart; Not thankful when it pleaseth me, As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.”–George Herbert
“The unthankful heart… discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!”–Henry Ward Beecher
Thanksgiving Friends by Joanna Fuchs
Thanksgiving is a time
For reviewing what we treasure,
The people we hold dear,
Who give us so much pleasure.
Without you as my friend,
Life would be a bore;
Having you in my life
Is what I’m thankful for.
Thanksgiving Every Day by Karl Fuchs
The table is brimming with good things to eat;
We’re surrounded by family and friends; what a treat.
The feelings that fill us today can’t be beat;
It’s Thanksgiving Day, and it all feels complete.
But other days, sometimes, things don’t seem so fine;
Those days are not polished and don’t seem to shine.
It’s then in our minds, we forget all the good,
And think of the things we would get, if we could.
On days when our thinking causes us dread,
If we could remember, it’s all in our head,
And not let our minds take our gratitude away,
Then we’d make every day like Thanksgiving Day.