Three years ago, while taking our usual evening walk through the neighborhood, Phil and I accidentally stumbled into what's become our most treasured family tradition. We'd been taking walks along Sailmaker when Phil suggested we each share three things from our day that made us smile. It started as casual conversation, really. Something to fill the comfortable silence between us.

Then our teenage granddaughter came to visit. Frankly, we weren't sure how she'd take to Meme and Popa Phil's "boring grown-up walks." But kids surprise you. By the third evening, she was racing ahead of us, calling back, "Come on! I've got my three things ready!"

What happened next caught us completely off guard. Those simple walks changed the entire feel of our month. Instead of feeling like we were rushing toward the holidays, we found ourselves really present in each day. Our granddaughter started noticing things we'd walked past a hundred times—the way the evening light hit the water, how Ms. Petrucci always waved when she was walking Koda, the sound of laughter drifting from backyard gatherings.

When she returned home, she took the tradition with her. Her mom called a week later, laughing, to tell us that bedtime now included "three grateful things" and somehow their whole family seemed calmer.

This year, we're building on what we learned. We've started leaving little thank-you notes for our mail carrier, really listening when neighbors, like the Lawrences, stop to talk real estate during our walks with Mazzi and Marty, and taking time to appreciate how lucky we are to live here. Phil calls them our "gratitude anchors"—small ways to stay grounded in what's good.

Living here, we're surrounded by reminders of how blessed we are. The sunsets that take your breath away. The sound of waves that never gets old. Neighbors who become friends. It's easy to take it all for granted, until you make a point not to.

Trust me, when December hits and you're juggling family visits and holiday parties, that foundation of thankfulness will carry you through with a lot more joy and a lot less stress.