A Trail of Gratitude
By Cheri Fuller
One November day Heather, one of the moms in the pediatric cancer clinic I volunteered in said, “Let’s start a list of things we’re grateful for. We can all brainstorm on what we’re thankful for; Cheri, you can write it on big butcher paper on the wall and the kids can illustrate it. Five-year-old Hunter immediately said, “Fast yellow and grey cars. That’s what I’m thankful for.”
“Faith and the strength it gives me,” Heather said.
“God,” one of the kids called out.
“Heart-shaped balloons…blood and marrow donors…my purple Teletubbie,” said some children.
“Mom!” Cody yelled.
“Volunteers who take time to provide a little sunshine for our kids. For waking up each morning. My child’s smile,” parents added.
Squishy bugs, double rainbows, puddles to jump in after the rain, the new hair I have growing in, riding the tractor with Daddy….
I wrote the blessings down and the list went on and on.
Gratitude does warm and encourage the soul. Psychologists are proclaiming the enormous benefits of expressing thanks. It shifts our minds from negative thoughts to more healthy attitudes, helps put problems in perspective and gives us hope. And when we express that thanks to God and someone else, it’s a double blessing.
Here are some ways to stir up gratitude in your family:
Role model a grateful attitude. Give thanks openly for things you normally take for granted that your spouse does and your kids will be influenced by your example. Research shows that the biggest impact on kids’ values is the relationship they observe between their mom and dad. Also, as you express appreciation for who your child is and the positive things he does, it helps him see how to affirm people (and boosts his sense of self-worth at the same time).
The most important prayer in the world is just two words long:
“Thank you.”
Play Alphabet Thanks. When you carpool to school or activities or around the dinner table, start with an A and have one child name something she’d grateful for. Move on to B, C, and through the alphabet.
Start a new tradition. Whenever you shop for birthday or Christmas, pick out a small box of thank-you notes for each child. Then designate a time to sit down and write a short note to each person who gave her a gift. If your kids are too young to write, have them dictate their thank-you note to you, and let them illustrate it with an original picture.
By leaving a trail of gratitude in your family’s life, a thankful spirit will warm your hearts not for just one day in November but throughout the year.
Point To Ponder: Think back across the years. Can you remember a teacher, mentor or relative who positively impacted your life? Perhaps a Sunday school teacher, a pastor, or music teacher? Have you ever told that person what a difference they made in your life? List a few people who come to mind and then write a note of appreciation to someone and put it in the mail.
Copyright 2006 Cheri Fuller use only by permission of author. Adapted from The Mom You’re Meant to Be: Loving Your Kids While Leaning on God (Focus on the Family/Tyndale). To order, see Resources & Books on Cheri’s site.
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