As an only child, I was blessed to have a large extended family that gathered every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins. I didn’t realize the depth of that blessing until it was over, and especially so after my grandparents passed away.
Gratitude was never meant to be confined to one day on a calendar.
A few years back, Brian and I brainstormed specific ways we were thankful for those who would soon sit around our Thanksgiving table. We jotted down both serious and funny reasons on slips of paper and put them in tiny Thanksgiving-themed bags. I printed off simple tags that read Why We’re Thankful for You, tied them to the bag, added their name and used them as place cards.
After we finished eating that night, each person took a turn drawing a slip of paper from their bag. Reading each one aloud added meaning to our time, as well as much laughter, and for this, I am thankful. {In the future, I may get everyone involved by asking them to write down their own “thankful” ideas prior to our meal.}
Practically any place card can become a personal opportunity to show our gratitude. The tent-type works especially well.
Thankfully, it’s not about our level of craftiness—it’s about finding simple, meaningful ways to show our gratitude towards another person—and there’s no better season to put our feelings into action.
I pray that you and those you love will have a very blessed Thanksgiving.
give thanks to him and praise his name.
Searching for other creative ways to show your gratitude? You’ll enjoy these ideas from Family Life:
- 10 Ways to Build Gratitude Into Our Children’s Hearts
- Why We Need to Teach Our Children About Gratitude
- Gratitude Is A Choice
Great post, Cathy. “Gratitude was never meant to be confined to one day on the calendar.” So true.