Last year we started a really fun tradition of making a thankful chain during the month of November. Most nights after dinner, each family member wrote what they were particularly thankful for that day on a piece of paper and we stapled them together in a chain.
This is a tangible way to focus on being grateful the whole month of November. We’re going to start again this weekend and add right on to our chain from last year! I love the idea of all these grateful sentiments linked together from different people and different years. We’ll definitely hang it in the dining room for Thanksgiving dinner!
Now, kids are kids. That’s why I said most nights we did it! I didn’t make a child participate if he didn’t want to. It seems counterproductive to make someone be grateful, haha!
We didn’t finish all the strips last year and that’s ok. Some nights Marcello wasn’t home or I just forgot about them. Some nights we did two. The point isn’t to be perfect, the point is to focus more on having a grateful heart.
Here is our little thankful station with strips of paper, pen and stapler. We’ll see how long the stapler will last — because three year olds. And six year olds. And seven year olds.
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 (NIV)
What are you most thankful for this year?
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Hello Kate – Psalms 107 is one of the endearing Scriptures for me. His Love endures forever and He is good and He never changes. I think of all my well meaning intentions every day, if it is not for the Grace of the Lord, I would not and cannot make it on my own. We do not really celebrate Thanks Giving Day it is an all-round ‘proclamation’ oh we are grateful every day! Are we, are we really grateful, do we say thank you to the Lord at the end of each day? I don’t think so. Yet we are not lost, ever, all we have to do is reach out for Jesus and He will help us, even carry us without us knowingly being aware of His Goodness and Loving kindness toward us. It is a splendid idea to make the “Ring of Gratefulness” and you are right it is a never ending project there so much to be grateful for. I am considering your example and starting a link myself. It is a wonderful way to remind us for the things we take for granted, learning from one another. Kind regards…
I love this idea of making thankful notes, thankful trees, now there’s the thankful chain as well! Can’t wait to get my family excited about it too!
Ooooh thankful trees! I haven’t heard of those. Love that idea!