Eye Rolls, Advent, and a Practice That Keeps Me Grounded Too

This morning my 11 year old daughter rolled her eyes at me, again.

Not a dramatic, storming-off kind of eye roll.
More like the subtle middle school version that says, “Mom, really?”

We were doing our daily Advent practice, inspired by my former teacher friend’s creation.
Her friends have Elf on the Shelf.
Some have fancy Sephora advent calendars with makeup surprises every single day.
We do not.

What we do have is a story-telling and experiential ritual we started a few years ago, and the practice does silently push back on the consumerism of this season.

Each day during Advent we tell another part of the story of Jesus’ birth.
We then try and end our day, not just during Advent, with sharing a “Wow”, “Thanks”, and “Help.”
The wow is something cool from the day.
What we you thankful for.
Where do we need help.

This morning, after 15 days under our belt, the vibe was… skeptical.

And honestly, I get it.

Comparison Starts Early

She wasn’t being ungrateful.
She was comparing.

And it hit me how early we all start doing this. Looking sideways. Noticing what other people get. Wondering if what we have is somehow less.

Most of us don’t outgrow this habit, I sure have not yet. We just get more sophisticated with it.

Different houses. Different jobs. Different timelines.
Same quiet question underneath it all. Am I missing something?

Our Little Practice

What I love about our Advent practice and evening “Wow, Thanks, and Help” reflection is that it meets us where we actually are.

The wow can be big or tiny. A great grade. A funny moment. A good song in the car.
The help is honest. School stress. Friend stuff. Sibling troubles.
And the thanks part is where we pause and notice what is already here.

Some days the gratitude part is heartfelt.
Some days it is rushed.
Some days it is shared through an eye roll.

Still counts.

A Simple Gratitude Practice for Grown Ups Too

It made me think about how rarely we slow down long enough to do this ourselves.

So here is a simple invitation. No fancy journal or calendar required.

Each day, name three things you are grateful for.
Build on it the next day.
And the next.

They do not have to be profound.
Coffee that was still warm.
A body that carried you through the day.
A text that made you feel seen.

Gratitude is not about pretending you want less.
It is about remembering what you already have while you keep moving forward.

Eye rolls and all.