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What are you grateful this Thanksgiving? This is a good time to reflect on the many things we have to be thankful for. Fabulesslyfrugal.com held a contest this month asking readers to post a comment each day on something they are thankful for.

Readers of the website had to explain what they were thankful for, why they were thankful and what they were going to do to show gratitude. As you enjoy the company of family and friends this holiday, why not ponder the above questions?

As I thought about things I am thankful for, I created a list of many small things I sometimes take for granted. Even during challenging times I still feel blessed. I have always believed this, but don’t always express this to the kids.

Although we express our love to our children, how often do we show them how to have an attitude of gratitude? This doesn’t only have to happen during the holiday season. We should encourage our kids though out the year to be grateful for things they have and the people in their lives. When we least expect it, our kids will surprise us.

One day as I picked my son up from school, I watched him in the midst of a random act of kindness. He grabbed a stack of football cards from his backpack and ran over to another student. When he returned I asked him what he had done. His reply was, “I gave him the football cards that I had two sets of. He’s always playing with his cards, and I knew he didn’t have certain ones.”

My son took advantage of an opportunity to do something nice for someone without being prompted to do so. For that I am grateful. A school newsletter that I read listed ides to help teach children the concept of thankfulness. One idea said to create a “Gratitude Attitude Calendar.” Family members could contribute something they are thankful for each day.

What am I thankful for and why? In addition to family, I am thankful for friends. There are friends who drive the carpool and pick up my kids from practices when I can’t get there. There are friends who will jus t listen when I need to whine and complain. Then there are friends that I don’t get to see often, but they know I still care. For this elite group of people, I say, "Thanks."

What does your attitude of gratitude look like?

Angela Verges is a writer and mother of two. She can be reached at awritersdream41@yahoo.com.