gratitude tree

"The more we expressed gratitude, the more there was to be grateful for." quoted by Bonnie D. Parkin

Last year I got an idea in my head and it turned into a tree-shaped paper on our wall with leaves taped to it. On each leaf was something someone in the family was grateful for. Katherine really jumped into the project and we kept a small basket with pre-cut leaves and a marker out so that throughout the weeks she and I would think of new things to add to our grateful tree.

This year the tree was shaped a tad different, the leaves look less like leaves than they did last year and Joel, who is now verbal, was able to express his gratitude for: Jesus, houses, kittens. It looked a little different but the kids were enthusiastic!

Throughout life there are trials, bumps, difficulties, heart-ache, pain, anguish, misfortune and abyssal moments. Holding onto gratitude can be like the lifeline to a ship if you've fallen overboard. I content that there is always something to be grateful for and learning to look for those things, learning to carry a sense of gratitude with you on a regular basis, can guard you against depression and negativity. It keeps you humble and generous. I helps keep perspective. "...for one cannot feel pride and gratitude at the same time." [S. Michael Wilcox] So I want my kids to see this, to learn this and to practice it. I want them to be protected in this world where men's hearts fail them. I will not be there in person as they walk their college campuses and converse with their high school friends. They will need to have an inner spring from which to take from. They will already need to be practiced at feeling grateful. So, we're starting early.