Obviously, for those of us in the US celebrating Thanksgiving, this is a week to be grateful. For those of us like Jenny and me, with kids coming home from college for the week, we are especially so.

Gratitude. We all know its importance. After all, it’s been cited as the emotion most strongly related with personal happiness. Even Oprah cites the day she became grateful as the turning point in her life and career. What I’m learning is that gratitude is not just an “attitude”–it’s a skill that can be learned and cultivated. So, first challenge of the week: name two circumstances in your current life that you always hoped for when you were younger. Two blessings you always prayed for.

I’ll start:

1.Growing up as a teenager, the number one thing I ever wanted was a girlfriend for life.

2.The second thing I always wanted was a best friend, even into adulthood.

I’m grateful today that I have both. Bonus? Same person.