When I first began making regular trips to London, I discovered that mid-November was a perfect travel time. It was a quiet time for my business and it was a quiet time for the travel industry so all sorts of bargains abounded.

Several of these trips had me away from home on Thanksgiving. Invariably, an American would ask me if the holiday was also celebrated in the UK. I’d politely point out that one of the things the Pilgrims were most thankful for was that they’d escaped from their British homeland.

On the other hand, British friends would tell me they wished they had a holiday focused on gratitude. I’d nod in agreement, but refrained from telling them that I never cared all that much for Thanksgiving. It always seemed a bit phony to me—and the menu never changed.

My feelings about Thanksgiving did change, however, and it’s become my favorite holiday. I remember the exact moment when that occurred.

My siblings and I were gathered at my mother’s house one Thanksgiving and I was sitting on the living room floor laughing hysterically at some silliness. The next moment,  I was engulfed by the thought, “I love being with these people.” I realized what a blessing it is to have a family that you not only love, but truly like.

From that time on, I decided to make every Thursday a mini-Thanksgiving Day. Sometimes I send thank you notes, sometimes I just meditate on current gratitude.

There’s one ritual, however, that I always include: I pay my bills on Thursday. Doing so used to be a source of dread, but that has been transformed because of a story I read in Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard.

In a chapter on creating rituals, Stoddard mentioned that she had a friend who had a bill paying ritual. She’d light candles, play lovely music, get out her favorite pen and write checks. It became an interlude in her busy life that she looked forward to.

It had never entered my mind that paying bills could be anything other than a necessary chore. I decided to test the notion.

My ritual is less romantic, but it’s a ritual nonetheless. It’s a time to give thanks for the blessings in my life that makes it possible to pay those bills, to contribute to the prosperity of others and to keep wealth circulating. I think about the recipient of each check (even when it’s a big impersonal organization) and send a silent blessing.

Both my attitude and bank account have been richer since putting this into action. Best of all, I discovered that one Thanksgiving per year just isn’t enough.