I can’t wait for summer. I’m a sun lover and I don’t like the cold. I don’t find wet and windy weather very appealing either, and when you add the dark mornings and early nights I’m tempted to feel a bit gloomy. I felt a little bit like that the other evening when travelling home through Pembroke Main Street.

The rain, the wind - not to mention the absence of the Christmas lights - weren’t making for a fun journey, and if that wasn’t enough the traffic lights turned red and I had to stop. Such are the joys of motoring!

But then everything changed. Two young girls stepped out from the shadows and crossed the road, and as they did, they turned towards me with a cheery smile and waved a great big ‘thank you’. It might have been a small gesture, but it really impacted me and suddenly the gloomy night seemed a lot brighter. Isn’t it amazing what a simple ‘thank you’ can do for you?

Being thankful can do more than lift other peoples’ spirits though. Research seems to show that it can have a very positive impact on those who are thankful too. Psychologists Michael McCullough and Robert Emmons set out to explore this and they came to the conclusion that people who are thankful are not just more optimistic they are much happier than those who aren’t.

So, here’s a suggestion for 2023: why not make a list of things for which you should be thankful? You could add one new thing every day and by the end of the year I reckon you’ll have a treasure trove of memories that will lift your spirits. In the same way you could make a list of those who have blessed you in one way or another and you could send them a card, a text or even give them a call. And if you are really looking for a challenge why not ‘Learn the ABC’ of giving thanks. Paul Griffiths and Martin Robinson came up with this brilliant idea in their marvellous little book ‘The 8 Secrets of Happiness’ All you have to do is come up with a list of things that begin with every letter of the alphabet.

I am going to start with ‘G’ because I am truly grateful for the two girls who reminded me how good it is to say ‘thank you’. And as you can see a simple act of gratitude may well result in consequences that go way beyond our expectations. Those two young girls would never have imagined that you (and many others both locally and further afield would be reading about them, but you are. So, who knows what might happen if you were to make a determined effort to say ‘thank you’ more often.

But of course, as you might guess I want to start with ‘G’ for another reason too. I want to thank God for showing me how stupid it was to think He wasn’t there, and for trying to destroy other peoples’ faith. I want to thank Him for giving me the opportunity to serve Him in ways and in places I would never have imagined possible. And above all I want to thank Him for gifting me with eternal life. And that’s just for starters.