Wilson Counseling: The Armchair Chronicles

image:gratisography.com In my mind Thanksgiving has long been a holiday that is about food. Sure, I know that is not what the Pilgrims had in mind when they sat down with the American Indians so many years ago, but somewhere along the way, the mashed potatoes and gravy seem to have won out to giving thanks. But lately, I have been thinking about the importance of expressing gratitude. I have been thinking about the need to take time off to cleanse our minds on a daily basis. There is a lot of research to support how transformative it is for people to intentionally express gratitude. Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the University of California-Davis has noted that practicing gratitude in a systematic way can actually changes people by changing brains that are "wired for negativity, for noticing gaps and omissions." He explains, "When you express a feeling, you amplify it. When you express anger, you become angrier: When you express gratitude, you

http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/32300000/Hump-Back-Whale-humpback-whales-32310756-1280-1024.jpg I have a very creative, artistic seven year old daughter. She often sees her world through a totally unique lens. Several years ago, I walked into her bedroom and found that she had cut some holes in her blue bed sheets. Puzzled about why she would do this, I asked her why she cut her sheets. She replied, "The horses needed water." Although I am not really sure what she meant exactly, I could imagine in her creative mind that the blue bed sheets were a cool stream and she wanted her toy horses to have access to a drink. I love seeing the world through her minds eye, and I try to tell her how much I appreciate her creative side, just as I try to appreciate each of my children's unique qualities. But, somewhere along the way, she started to feel it was not good to be different. One day, seemingly out of the blue, she told me, "Mommy, I am an odd ball. I don