A few years back I bought a fingertip towel at my favorite fabric and craft store. It’s dark brown, with gold- and copper-colored embroidery, with the message: “A Season of Thanks.”

Obviously I bought it in the fall, when all the autumn and Thanksgiving items were for sale. In my house, though, that towel stays in the stack for constant use. It’s always a season for thanks.

In November you will notice on Facebook people begin posting 30 Days of Gratitude. Today, at the end of August, I’m starting my list of Gratitudes. Here are a few:

My oldest daughter recently moved from the Phoenix area to Flagstaff, AZ—elevation 7000 feet. The move included herself, her two cats, and numerous bits and pieces (actually boxes and boxes) of belongings she would need while she teaches at Northern Arizona State. I am grateful for her safe arrival and for her securing a teaching position. Things seems to turn out right, just in time, for her.

My Ohio daughter is hosting a garage sale today and tomorrow; I am grateful for such an excellent venue for my downsizing project. I hauled a carload to her last week (we meet at her work site in the evening on her meal break), and tomorrow I’ll go to her home to help staff the sale. We'll have all day to visit--a bonus!

Most Sunday afternoons I visit by phone with my youngest daughter in Minnesota. We share our joys, concerns, and everything in between. Solving world problems? Piece o’cake. Like most young career folks, she is always involved in various projects. I’m grateful for this time of sharing, and we both look forward to our Sunday visit.

My son’s home now houses two families—himself and my daughter-in-law, and their son and his wife and two children. My grandson received a medical discharge from the army, so I am grateful my son and daughter-in-law provided a safe and secure place to live while their son and his family work out a new life journey.

A close friend recently underwent heart tests at IU Medical Center in Indianapolis; a change in medications is making a big difference at the moment. I am grateful for medical personnel who watch patients carefully and recommend specialist treatment.

I am grateful for friends who check on me from time to time via phone, snail mail, email, texts, and visits. Their care and concern warm my heart.

My final Gratitude is to God for allowing us to have a cooler-than-normal summer and sending us the start of the autumn season a little early. We’ll no doubt have some hot days in September—that’s a given in Northeast Indiana—but Autumn is just around the corner.

Do you have reasons to be thankful, any season of the year? Write them down. Read over your list from time to time. Add new reasons as they come to you. And have a wonderful week!