Thought of the Day and Question of the Day: Why Gratitude Makes Thanksgiving Morning Hit Different

November 20, 2025

Some days the “Thought of the Day and Question of the Day” combo slips quietly into my morning like a polite guest. Other days it barges in like a relative who doesn’t knock. Today’s pair lands somewhere in between. We’re talking about gratitude, pillows, prayers, and the very first thing we do on Thanksgiving morning. This post explores why these small moments matter more than they look.

Thought of the Day: Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. Maya Angelou

Gratitude is a funny thing. We talk about it constantly in November, but the moment the leftovers are gone, the world sprints into holiday panic mode. We skip right over appreciation and jump straight into Where-is-the-cheapest-TV-and-how-hard-do-I-have-to-arm-wrestle-someone-to-get-it.

But Maya Angelou had a way of saying things that cuts through all the noise. A pillow of gratitude. Not a stone. Not a guilt trip. A pillow. Something soft enough to lean into when everything else feels hard.

There’s a quiet kind of strength in that image. It reminds me that gratitude isn’t about demanding I feel inspired at all times. It’s about giving myself a place to rest my brain. A landing pad for my thoughts. A soft spot to let go of the day.

And honestly? I could use more soft spots in my life. Between the kids, the work, the emails, the devices that refuse to sync unless I sacrifice a goat… I’m tired. Some nights I don’t feel naturally grateful. I feel like a frayed USB cable that still works when you wiggle it at the right angle.

But that’s the whole point of the quote. Gratitude isn’t the destination. It’s the pillow. It doesn’t solve everything, but it lets you breathe long enough to try again tomorrow.

When I look back at some of my other posts, the ones where I was stretched thin, like the reflection in why some moments hit harder at 3 AM than at 3 PM or the one about what we misunderstand most about ourselves — the common thread is that gratitude slows everything down just enough to see the truth.

And the truth is simple: even a messy life is a gift. Especially a messy life.

Tonight, when I kneel beside my bed (or let’s be honest, sit on the floor because I’m tired), I’m going to try to make that pillow a little softer.

Question of the Day: What is the first thing you do Thanksgiving morning?

I usually open my eyes and get out of bed.

The hilarious part about this question is that it exposes something important. Thanksgiving morning is packed with tradition, turkey prep, parade-watching, arguing over who forgot to buy butter, but before any of that starts, we all do the exact same thing.

We wake up.

And we don’t give ourselves nearly enough credit for that.

Because opening your eyes on Thanksgiving morning means you made it. Through the year. Through the late nights. Through the stress. Through the things you would have bet money you wouldn’t get through.

And then you get out of bed. Which, honestly, should count as a small athletic achievement.

But after I stop being sarcastic, the real heart of this question shines through: what’s the very first intentional thing you do?

Do you check your phone?

Start cooking?

Wish you had started brining the turkey yesterday?

Wonder why your Apple Watch says your sleep was “fair” even though it felt like someone used your brain as a trampoline?

My first intentional thing is usually this: I take one long breath before the chaos starts.

It’s like the pregame ritual of adulthood. One inhale. One exhale. One quiet acknowledgment that today is going to be a lot, family, food, noise, joy, kids running around, the whole circus, and I get to be in the middle of it.

And maybe that’s enough of a Thanksgiving tradition on its own.

Of course, after that breath, the rest unfolds exactly how you’d expect. Someone’s already asking for breakfast. Someone’s crying because they can’t find the right spoon. Someone’s unplugging something important. Someone’s stealing the remote during the parade. And I’m just trying to keep the day on the rails long enough to maintain the illusion that adults have things under control.

And somehow it’s always perfect anyway.

Before You Go…

I’d love to know what you do first on Thanksgiving morning. Tell me in the comments, something real, something funny, something human.

And if you want these daily prompts delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up for the free daily email. Your mornings (and your gratitude pillow) will thank you.