Thankfulness- Not Just at Thanksgiving!

Because it is almost the Thursday in November that is allocated as Thanksgiving Day, many take the time to be thankful for what they have and who they know, etc. There isn’t anything wrong with taking a day {or the entire month} to reflect on being thankful for what one has.

Seeing many different Thankful Trees online, I wanted to make one {I think that is what they are called}. But I was too lazy. Yes, yep, that I was. Too lazy. I didn’t want to print out the leaves and then cut them out and color them {or possibly trace them onto construction paper to cut the step of color}. Then to make the tree, with branches {or without}, and affix the leaves.

Seriously, it seemed like a lot of work to me. The funny thing is that we already had leaves to use. And as for ‘making’ the tree- what was I really thinking?!

Awhile back the kids and I had gone around the block and collected colorful leaves. Then Lee and I had pressed them for a few days to be able put them between contact paper. Originally we were going to string them up around so we could enjoy the colors of fall. Well…since I hadn’t followed the instructions quite as I should have, I had to press my leaves again after laminating them.

And then I forgot them.

Thinking about our ‘traditions’ for the holidays got me thinking again about the tree. Maybe I could make the tree after all… as long as the kids wanted to help. I enjoy doing crafty things but it’s much sweeter when my kids participate as well. Otherwise, for me, it just seems like a pointless activity {it’s just me, I’m sure}.

We attended a Thanksgiving dinner at church this past Sunday and although there was a lot of food that was reminiscent of traditional “Thanksgiving Day” feasts, it wasn’t about the food or about the Pilgrims or the supposed history of the day. It was a time to be specific about what we are thankful for and praise God for it. It was a time to be thankful for the people we are surrounded by, the church family, our family, etc.

The service that Sunday was about Thanksgiving as well {appropriately} but it focused on giving heart-felt thanks to God, most importantly, and to others. As parents we teach our children to say “thank you” when given something or when helped by someone. There are some who will say, “You don’t have to say thank you,” to the child but if we want our children to learn to be thankful, they do need to say it.

It needs to be something that is a constant. It needs to be throughout the day, throughout the week- all year, every year of their lives. It will not guarantee that they will be thankful individuals {they learn by seeing others, by example, but also their hearts will determine this} but it will give a good foundation for it to grow.

I asked the kids if they would be interested in helping me put up the tree. At first they were doing it out of obligation {because they were occupied with something else} but by the time we were done, it was evident they enjoyed it. Lee made the tree trunk, Fox suggested the branches. Using the laminated leaves it makes it easy to use this again and again. I chose to use wet eraser markers so that it will stay put until we wipe it off.

  

I don’t intend to take our tree down for awhile. No reason to pack it away the day after Thanksgiving. And I think we will require more leaves {I may have to ‘make’ some after all!}.