Saying ‘grats’ at dinner can help ease stress

When we read in newspapers every day about problems and tragedies occurring locally, nationally and internationally, it’s easy to become distressed. That’s good if it leads us to action, but not if it makes us upset about our lives.

Experts say that to increase happiness, we should find time each day to think about things for which we are grateful. My family just started doing this at dinnertime, whereby during the meal we say "grats.”

This involves one person telling us three things for which she or he is grateful. Then we have a conversation about what was said.

Being the old guy at the table, I often discuss how one of those things was different in earlier times. For example, if televisions are cited, I might talk about how, when I was young, we didn't have one, nor did most of our neighbors and that the first TVs had small screens and took a while to "warm up" before a low-quality black-and-white image grudgingly appeared.

The only rules we have are that grats shouldn't involve a person at the table nor something that was brought up recently. Otherwise, they can be anything - big or small. Examples: freedom of speech, paper towels, medications, email, volunteers, toothbrushes, friends, pie, plastic, sunshine, windows, love, electricity, teachers, soap, parks and music.

Grats have sparked a lot of good conversation and made us more appreciative of the lives we have. I invite you to give it a try.

Gary Jump

Itasca