 Photo by Nicole Michalou at Pexels.com As we countdown the gifts that money can't buy, I would be remiss if I didn't highlight the gift of friendship. Friendship is the gift that keeps on giving because friends keep us going through the ups and downs of this crazy world of ours each and every day. I have friends in many different settings who are extremely special to me. In this wonderful collection of irreplaceable people are: church friends, workplace friends, new friends and those who fall into the lifelong friends category. One such lifelong friend is Monika. I will admit this is dating myself a bit, but her and I have been friends for fifty years! That is very hard to believe, but when you have a good friend like her, you hold on tight. We really enjoy each other's company and can talk about anything and everything. Recently, she invited my sister and I over for a Hallmark movie night. We wore our Christmas attire, and she prepared some great treats to enjoy—you know, the kind where we don't count calories for one magical evening. You get the point. The evening was so fun and meaningful, and I left smiling with my cup running over with joy. Monika and I have become more intentional lately and have made getting together a priority. We love our coffee dates, walks and shopping trips and have committed to an annual summer girl's getaway. All my best childhood and growing up memories have Monika in them because we were inseparable, to the point that she was deemed my parents' adopted daughter. So glad that she lives close by to make getting together so easy. Her friendship is indeed a wonderful gift to me.  Monika and I on one of our first Christmas seasons together. The recipe for a great friendshipIf you were to make a pot of friendship soup this season, what would you include? I have done this activity with my students, and many essential ingredients come to mind. Here's what would go in my pot. The first ingredient is common interests. It is so easy to visit with people when you share things in common. This is why my church friends have become like family to me. We share so much in common, including our desire to grow closer to Jesus each and every day. I have also met great friends through volunteer experiences, recreational activities, or through working on projects together. The feeling of being in the same boat—and we are all in this together—is a very powerful bonding experience. The second ingredient is kindness. We naturally gravitate towards people who treat us well. A great friend knows you inside and out and loves to extend kind gestures toward you. Whether it is a funny text to make you laugh, a hug when you need it, a word of encouragement, or a well-timed compliment, a good friend is always ready to bestow love and kindness on you in ways that mean the most to you. That is why you enjoy spending time with those people. They bring out the best in you, and you leave feeling so fulfilled after spending time with them.  Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA at Pexels.com The third ingredient is mutuality. When you have mutuality in a friendship, everyone wins. These friendships consist of having a great balance of being there for each other through thick and thin. When one is down, the other lifts them up. When one needs a listening ear, the other sits in silence, listening without judgment and offers advice when needed. These friends jump in with sleeves rolled up when their help is needed, and they know that you will do the same for them when the time comes. There is never any sense of owing anyone anything. These friends know that when they need you, you will be there “with bells on,” as my mom used to say, and a pot full of coffee. The fourth ingredient is honesty. A true friend will be honest with you about easy and hard topics. They will speak the truth in love and are not afraid to have the difficult conversations with you. They do this because they love and value you so much that if they have a concern, they will let you know. These are the best people to hear from because they know you so well, and you know they truly have your best interests at heart.  Photo by Karola G at Pexel.com The fifth ingredient is trust. Your closest and dearest friends know your heart. They are the keepers of your secrets, heartfelt longings and deepest prayer requests. You can truly be yourself with them. While with others you may need to save face, not with these fine folk. They have seen you at your absolute worst and just love you all the more. My heart is so full as I review my list of precious and dear individuals who I would deem my closest friends. These wonderful people exhibit these qualities and so much more. I am beyond blessed and know that they are an absolutely amazing gift to me not just at Christmas, but truly all year long. Call to Action
Dana Copyright: littlelessonslearnedbydana, © 2025
Tags: FriendshipMatters, MeaningfulFriendships, TrueFriendsAreBlessings, GiftOfFriendship, FriendshipInChrist, ChristianEncouragement, HolidayReflections, 12ThingsMoneyCantBuy, FaithAndFriendship, StrongerTogether, FriendshipGoals, ChristianBlog, LifeGivingRelationships, EncouragementForWomen, HeartfeltConnections, Christmas
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 Photo by Nicole Michalou at Pexels.com "When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around. " ~ Willie Nelson A grateful heart goes a long way, especially at Christmas. It is easy to feel so overwhelmed with the season's to-do list that taking the time to be thankful can be overlooked. When you look around your table, who do you see? Be thankful for the people you get to do life with and cherish them. No future Christmases are guaranteed with anyone, so let's make this one amazing for you and all the special people in your life. So, how do we do that exactly? Let's dive right in, shall we?  Photo by RDNE Stock project at Pexels.com Don't visit the complaint departmentGrowing up, whenever we started to complain or bicker endlessly—about home, life, or anything really—my mom would look at us and say, half-joking but half-serious, "Excuse me… is this the complaint department?" It always broke the tension and made us all laugh. It was also a great strategy to help us change our perspective and realize that an ungrateful heart truly gets you nowhere. Truth be told, Christmas has a way of somehow magnifying everything—our joy, yes, but also our stress, our busyness, and the parts of life that can feel uncomfortable or heavy. It’s no wonder we sometimes slip so easily into “complaint department” mode without even realizing it or wanting to. I’m understanding more and more that complaining can be a sign of something much deeper: tired hearts, stretched schedules, or grief that sneaks up on us in unexpected ways. That’s why gratitude matters so much, especially now. It doesn’t erase the hard things, but it gently redirects our focus so we don’t get stuck there. It offers us a way out, a way forward, a way to breathe again. One of my favourite songs recently is by Seph Schlueter called Counting My Blessings. It is such a great reminder to focus on the good in life, not the bad. There is always something to be grateful for, even if it is the fact that you made it through another day. Having the right perspective can really be a game changer.  Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA at Pexels.com Focus more on the gratitude list, than the Christmas list All gratitude counts. You do not have to feel totally in the holiday spirit to be grateful. Everyone is different, and that is perfectly ok. Some people are so grateful to spend time with friends and family this season, while others are most thankful if they spend Christmas alone. All gratitude is good for the soul. I heard a quote that said, what we often complain about is what others only dream of. That one really spoke to me. We often miss the mark at Christmas and fail to see what really matters. I don't want to miss that mark this year. How about you? You may be the type of person who waits for Christmas all year with excitement and anticipation. Perhaps you are the opposite and you have a heavy or broken heart this Christmas. You may, in all honesty, wish that you could erase Christmas from the calendar altogether. I have met and chatted with many people in that category and I do understand. Wherever you find yourself on the spectrum, having a gratitude attitude in your toolbox will help to carry you through the holidays and reap great benefits in the long run. If you are wondering where to start to incorporate more gratitude into your holiday season and daily routine, here are some suggestions. Call to Action:
Until next time, Dana Copyright: littlelessonslearnedbydana, © 2025
Tags: Christmas, Thankfulness, Meaningful holidays, Christmas mindset, Stop complaining, Positive attitude, Count your blessings, Gratitude, Thankful Heart, Attitude of Gratitude, Holiday Gratitude, Christmas Spirit, Season of Giving, Simple Joys, Mindful Christmas, Mindful Living, Positive Vibes, Self Care Season, Mental Wellness, Peaceful Mind, Life Lessons, Daily Inspiration, Heartfelt Moments, Reflect and Recharge, Joyful Living Photo by Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels “Enjoy the little things in life for someday you’ll look back and realize they were the BIG things.” ~ Robert Brault“ Thanksgiving is just around the corner in Canada where I am so proud to live. It is truly a beautiful time of year. Today I noticed what some might deem, a little thing. The leaves had started to change into their glorious fall colours and I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of it all. I have often thought of how God created the incredible trees so that even in their death they exude beauty for all of us to witness. Now I had walked by these trees day after day, yet somehow never really “saw” them until today. Life is like that sometimes. Little, wonderful things can be right under our noses yet we somehow miss them for whatever reason. We have so many things to be thankful for that is certain, yet it is often the little things that we take for granted. We want different menu options, a larger bank account, a bigger home, a faster car, a better paying job and the list goes on and on. Sadly we forget at times those who are less fortunate and have none of these things at all.  Photo by MART PRODUCTION at Pexels Several years ago I was discussing different types of homes people have in Canada in social studies class with my students. Among the obvious answers were houses, apartments, trailer homes, and condominiums, yet in the discussion a very interesting “home” came up. A little girl raised her hand and said somewhat timidly “a cardboard box?” The puzzled students started giggling thinking this little girl was really confused, yet she went on to explain. On her family vacation they had driven through an area with a very high homeless population and she had seen a small settlement of makeshift homes from boxes and anything else these unfortunate people could find. The little girl was shocked and dismayed, but her parents used this opportunity to explain and to enlighten her that that is how some people live. The student then went on to educate her classmates about how lucky we are to live the way we do and how that experience was something she will always remember. Shelter is a little thing we often do not think of as a blessing until we are face to face with someone who does not have that simple necessity. Our class conversation took a deeper turn that day and allowed us to focus on the little things in life that we often take for granted. We are so blessed to have homes, transportation, money for our needs, clothing and food on our tables.  Photo by Lubomirkin on Unsplash One year a new little boy entered my classroom. His family had recently experienced some tough times financially, yet fortunately I was told things were starting to look up for his little family, as his father got a new job. When I asked him if he would like to introduce himself to the class and share something about himself that was interesting or special he was more than happy to oblige. He proudly said his name and then he said something without hesitation I will never forget. He said “two things that are special about me are I like to eat well, and I like to be clean.” Little things that we take for granted like plenty of food and a warm bath or shower were recent luxuries that he was truly grateful for. These little things were placed high on his thankful list. It was a very humbling moment for me and I felt honored to have that little guy on my class list. He stole my heart that day and I made it a personal mission of mine to make sure he felt very blessed that year under my direction.  Photo by Yan Krukau at Pexels Little things can bring us so much joy if we are open to recognizing them. A warm cup of tea, an unexpected phone call, a funny movie, a good laugh with friends, curling up for a nap, a warm cozy fire, or a lazy Saturday afternoon with no particular agenda can bring us such pleasure. There has been an uprising on social media about gratitude where people are making a conscious effort to recognize often the little things that enhance their lives and bring them joy. This is truly wonderful because it is important for all of us to stay in an attitude of gratitude to lead the best possible lives for ourselves. Some people are the opposite. As Sebastian says in The Little Mermaid they live their lives thinking “the seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake.” They are never grateful for what is in front of them and they are never satisfied with what they have. This is so sad and a very unhealthy way to live. It is difficult to be around these types of people as their negativity can really bring you down too if you allow it. Sometimes it takes pivotal life circumstances to help them truly see their blessings.  Photo by paul wence at Pexels I have many scented body lotions and candles around the house. When my son Tyler was little he loved to smell these special little lotions, and small scented candles. He was quite obsessed actually and it was precious. He knew all the names by heart, and would he take them to my mom’s house and have her smell them too. He had such an appreciation for something so small it was truly heartwarming. He would say things like “This is summer peach or this is vanilla cookie,” and “Doesn’t it smell awesome?” as he would light up with pleasure over each smelly treasure. I remember thinking how sweet it was that he thought something so simple was so special and interesting. I knew right then, I could really learn a lot from him in this area.  With Thanksgiving just around the corner, (Hey, even in the USA it comes in November, which will be here before you know it!) what a perfect time to start focusing on what you do have over what you don’t. What little or big things are you most thankful for? My faith, family, friends, and career bring me great fulfillment and I am so blessed to have what I have in these areas. We all have areas of our lives that need changes or growth, but no matter who we are, we still have many things to be thankful for as well. The Bible tells us to be thankful in all circumstances, not just the perfect or ideal scenarios. God wants us to cultivate an attitude of gratitude no matter what comes our way and He really does want to bless us out of His deep love and commitment to us. So, as the turkey is passed around the table this year, take a moment to really take it all in. Don’t let it become a ritual. Focus on those who are at your table and reflect upon God’s goodness to you this past year. Count your many blessings and be thankful! Little things really are some of life’s biggest blessings! Until next time, Dana 1 Thessalonians 5:18: Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Little Lesson Learned: A thankful heart for little things will really bless you and others. Tags: thankfulness, gratitude, thankful heart, Thanksgiving, little things, blessingsCopyright: © 2024 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi) second edition, first edition Little Things ( 2014)
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