It is such a pleasure to present Patricia Weber’s thoughts about being grateful at Thanksgiving. So, without further adieu here are her thoughts.
It’s amazing to me that some define the baby boomer generation as lazy, greedy, self-indulgent, and even whiners.
We are the cause of the financial problems.
We are accountable to no one.
We complain about, “back in my day!”
It doesn’t bother me one bit that others are critical of what they believe we are responsible for. Baby boomers know the value we bring to societies around the world. Thankfully when we do say, “back in my day,” we can know we are about 76 million in voice, and have plenty to be grateful about throughout our lives.
Expressing being grateful is a day-to-day practice for me. Every morning (right now for over 100 days straight) I write down 3 to 5 things I feel grateful about. Some days it’s a simple as, “I feel grateful for the warm sun out today.” Other days it’s huge like, “I feel grateful how God has answered my prayers.” After writing each thought, I stop and reflect on what that gratefulness feels like.
As boomers, as with everyone, events and people influenced us in our lives as we grew up. I’m delighted I can claim things like bringing in the Lamaze method, the Beatles and American Bandstand. Those – were the days.
Now that we are at the time of year many of us set aside one day for Thanksgiving, here are thoughts of what at least this baby boomer is grateful for.
Baby Boomer #Grateful at Thanksgiving
Grateful to still be able to remember “back in my day.”
While our children and grandchildren are played to on every kind of technology imaginable, television “in our days” was where the family often gathered after dinner. On those first little black and white televisions Ed Sullivan, even in his stoic manner, would deliver a “really big shew” for us. We were introduced to cigarettes, Westerns and commercials. That was the start of the technology we have today.
Grateful for people in service positions who actually – serve.
People seemed to be friendlier when I was growing up. The servers paid attention to you instead of like many times today, being over in a corner texting a friend about their plans when their shift ends. Recently in helping to set up in-home care for my 90-year-old dad, I realized the evil side of today’s technology, which I truly believe, would not have happened decades ago. As I was explaining the home situation to the caregiver provider she whined, “Oh excuse me, I have to answer this text, just give me a few secs.” What?! Wait. I’m a customer who you are on the telephone with right now. Shouldn’t I be the most important person to you?
“Sorry, that was a friend,” she quickly said when she came back.
It’s these kind of situations that both raise my grateful meter for people who deliver real service in today’s world, and steer me off to reminisce about “back in my days.”
Grateful for grandchildren.
Even though my husband and I live on the USA East Coast, and my son and his family live on the west, we still have regular communication whether by telephone or webcam. In some ways for me, my granddaughters are a reflection on our parenting of our son. Most times that gives me pause for thought, “We did a fine job.” With children being so in the present, and baby boomers not responsible for raising them, we can be as in the present and as joyful as they are. We don’t have to take them home!
Grateful we spoke up.
As many of us protested against the Vietnam War, even taking over some college campuses, somewhere along the way we found our voice in significant events like these. We’re independent, confident and welcome taking on established thinking and practices. For me it’s usually to make a positive difference. This kind of willingness to make our voice heard opens the door to say, “speak up,” to generations after us. Given some of the situations in the world today, can’t this only be a welcome and positive trait?
Collectively it’s said baby boomers are the wealthiest, the most active and the most physically fit generation. With all there is to be grateful about, that alone points to being wealthy. Some might be financially better off than others but if we tally life up, with our health, with our unstoppable spirit, with our contributions, we indeed are the wealthiest generation.
If you haven’t already started, make this Thanksgiving your time to find something to be grateful about on a daily basis.
What are you grateful for, or about, with your generation’s place in time?
From Patricia Weber @patricia-weber.com as life’s journey continues…
If you enjoyed “Baby Boomer Grateful at Thanksgiving,” check out Baby Boomer Who Doesn’t Think Alternative Healing is Phony, Secrets to Aging Well for Baby Boomers from Our Aging Parents, and We Shall See.
