November 24, 2025
When I sit down to write my daily Thought of the Day and Question of the Day, I never know exactly where the day is going to take me. Sometimes it’s deep. Sometimes it’s ridiculous. Sometimes it’s somewhere in between, which is honestly where most of life hangs out anyway. Today lands squarely in that space where gratitude, exhaustion, and Thanksgiving all collide in a very human way.
Below, I explore today’s Thought and Question through some personal reflection, a little humor, and the honest truth of someone who is very ready for a nap.
Thought of the Day: “Gratitude paints little smiles on our hearts.” — Terri Guillemets
Gratitude is one of those ideas that sounds soft and simple until you realize it is basically emotional weightlifting. Yes, it paints little smiles on our hearts. Yes, it makes life sweeter. But some days just getting the brush in your hand feels like a workout.
Lately, life has been heavy. Work. Kids. Responsibilities stacked like those leaning Jenga towers you know are going to collapse but you still pretend everything is good. Most days, I’m running on caffeine and obligation. And yet, even inside the chaos, gratitude keeps breaking through like little beams of light between tightly drawn blinds.
For me, those little smiles show up in very ordinary moments. When one of my kids laughs in that deep belly way that makes you stop whatever you’re doing. When a stranger holds a door. When I find five quiet minutes where nobody needs anything from me. When someone else offers to watch the kids. When I get to take a shower without an audience. These are tiny things, yes, but they stitch my days together.
Gratitude has this quiet superpower: it doesn’t erase the overwhelm, but it does soften it. It reminds me that even the stressful seasons are full of small mercies. And on the days when the weight feels too much, gratitude whispers back that I’m still standing, still breathing, still moving.
Sometimes it even whispers, “Hey, take a nap. You earned this.”
Question of the Day: Which part of Thanksgiving do you secretly love the most: the cooking, the eating, or the nap?
Let me answer honestly and without apology: the nap.
Yes, I appreciate the food. Yes, I appreciate family. Yes, I appreciate the warmth and the traditions and the table overflowing with people and plates and stories. But the nap is the crown jewel.
Because here’s the truth. I’m tired. I’m overworked, stressed, and stretched in every direction. Most days, my body runs like a phone stuck at 4 percent battery that pretends it is fine but knows it is about to shut down at any moment. Thanksgiving gives me the rare chance to plug in.
On Thanksgiving, other family members magically appear like substitute teachers who encourage you to take a break. They play with the kids. They pass the toys. They do the refereeing that I normally do from the moment the sun rises until bedtime negotiations finally end. And suddenly, I get something I have not had in a very long time: permission to fall asleep in the middle of the day without guilt.
There is something sacred about that nap. It isn’t just sleep. It is a reset button. It is the universe saying, You get to rest now. Go.
And I do. Happily.
There is a kind of gratitude you can only feel when you wake up from a nap that you truly needed. Your body feels heavier, but your heart feels lighter. You open your eyes and think, I forgot life could feel like this. And in a season where the plate feels full in every direction, that kind of rest feels like a miracle.
If Thanksgiving brings you joy in the cooking or the eating or the chaos of it all, say so. But if you are like me and secretly believe the nap is the spiritual heart of the day, you’re in good company.
You can also check out my reflections on tiny rebellions and quiet joys in this post.
Your Turn
Which part of Thanksgiving are you secretly most excited for? Tell me in the comments. And if you like reflecting on these kinds of questions, you can get my Thought of the Day and Question of the Day delivered every morning.
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