Gratitude

Eric and I have both been around the world of stage plays and musicals most of our lives. Whether it was performing in them (he was Ephraim in 7 brides for 7 brothers, I was an Irish settler in Paint your Wagon), singing in the shower to show tunes (his favorite is Little Shop of Horrors, my favorite is Guys and Dolls), or watching it on the stage (he fell asleep during Phantom of the Opera when he was 17, I stayed awake during Forever Plaid when I was 19), we love all of it. In the summer of 2017, our family was in the stage production of Mary Poppins. It was an incredible experience--some would even say it was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! He was cast as The Policeman. He had a few lines in a couple of scenes. And then he had two words in the song "Jolly Holiday." They were spoken, but since he said them during the song--it felt like a vocal solo. We worked tirelessly to perfect those two words: Morning, Mary. I would name an emotion and then he would respond with only those two words to convey that emotion. You can imagine it. Happy: Morning, Mary!! Surprise: Morning...Mary? Mad: Morn. Ing. Ma. Ry. But you can't imagine when I said "Sad". He put all of his energy into those two words, and it was the most mournful, pathetic, heart-wrenching, hopeless, sad moment. He nailed it. The power he had with just two little words was astounding. The play was a smashing hit, and my British Cop with the nightstick and fake mustache was so adorable. 
I can think of another set of two words that can have more power than Morning, Mary ever did. They embody one of the most basic principles to living a happy life. They represent one life's earliest manners learned. They are some of the first words we speak as a toddler. They are capable of turning a frown into a smile. They are sincere. They are heart felt. They are THANK YOU.  Gratitude in a marriage can make all the difference in our day to day lives, thus impacting our life long happiness. Gratitude challenges are a popular practice in society today. And for good reason. "We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude" (Thomas S. Monson, An Attitude of Gratitude 2000). To be able to lift ourselves and others and step out of negativity is a worthwhile skill to cultivate. This week, try the marriage gratitude challenge. Everyday notice all of the little things that your spouse does that bless your life, and then thank him or her for it. Thank you for taking out the trash. Thank you for being so cute. Thank you for working so hard for our family. Thank you for driving us here so safely. Thank you for sending me that cute text. Thank you for loving me. When you notice all the positive things your spouse does, you awareness of them will experience an exponential increase. There really is something magical hearing the words 'thank you.' You feel validated, appreciated and rejuvenated to continue on when you are the recipient of heart-felt gratitude. When appreciation and "Thank you" can be found in a marriage, you are one step closer to being practically perfect in every way.