Gratitude is important year round; Thanksgiving Day is one week away. We spent some school time today considering the things you are most thankful for when you're 2, almost 5, and 6 years old. I think the things mentioned were fairly standard - what you'd expect to hear from the given age group - food, our home, squirrels, toys, Papa and Grandma. "Bed" took me by surprise though, as did the accompanying drawing of a bunk bed which we don't even have. ("Pst. It's a gratitude exercise, not a wish list.")
This Thankfulness Turkey has made an appearance in our home for four years now. (This year, I'm particularly thankful that TWO young participants could write their own items!! Yay!) This bird's ancestors (dare I write his forefeathers??? Bad, bad...) were also sporting construction paper feathers of thanks back when I was a kid. My dad would hang a poster board bird in the kitchen and we'd spend an afternoon decorating our feathers, drinking milk and molasses, and wishing we could draw as well as my dad. We'd talk about gratitude, too. I'm pretty sure that every year I wrote that I was thankful for books. I'm still overwhelmingly grateful for books. I also remember that every year my dad would express his gratitude for the innumerable freedoms we have as citizens of this country. And now, that gratitude and the prayerful desire to keep those freedoms, are my own.
Here is my thankful crew. I pray that gratitude may always be foremost in our hearts and minds and on our lips.
Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices.
That's a big turkey!! And a great idea! How cool that it's been passed on like that. I have yet to do anything Thanksgivingy with my crew...better get on that!
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