With Thanksgiving only a week away I’ve contemplated about how I will let my family know that I am thankful for each of them.
A couple of years ago in order to express my thankfulness for my husband, I drew a tree trunk and branches on the large mirror in our bathroom using a dry erase marker. I cut out leaf shapes from scrapbooking paper and then each day I would write one thing about him for which I was thankful. I would then attach the leaf to the tree on the mirror. You might think a grown man would think that was silly, but I found it sweet to see how eager he was to find the new leaf I added each day. He would come in and begin looking for it first thing in the morning. I had begun this at the beginning of November, so by the time Thanksgiving came there was quite a collection of leaves and reasons why I loved him. Recently I found those leaves tucked away in his office. Hmmm, I think that touched his heart.
Thanksgiving provides a perfect time to express our love and gratitude to our family. We do it frequently for others with thank you notes for a meal in their home or a gift they send, but we need to let those we love the most know how much they mean to us. You have a week to think and pray about how you can express your thankfulness for your family members. Need a few suggestions?
- Send a card in the mail to your husband – isn’t there still something special about getting “real” mail?
- Each night at supper stick a little piece of paper at each person’s plate (or hide it under the plate) telling them a reason you’re thankful for them.
- Send a text message to your teenager.
- In a central location in your home (the fridge or bathroom mirror) post a piece of construction paper and add a new reason why you’re thankful for them.
- Using the family member’s name, use each letter in their name to describe why you are thankful for them. (D – Dare to stand for the truth, A – Always unselfish, L – Look sharp when we go out!, E – Example for me to follow)
Do you have another creative way to express your gratitude? I’d sure love to hear about it!
Since Matt and I aren't together every day, I gave him an envelope with these instructions: open on Friday and take out one piece of paper each day until Thanksgiving.
I used cardstock in fall colors, cut them into strips and wrote one on side “I am thankful for you because…” and on the other side, one reason for each day of the week before thanksgiving. Some of the reasons are silly things, some of them are serious. He loves it when I make things for him. =)
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How clever. No wonder he's following you everywhere you go!
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Hi Ms. Denise! This is Connie's daughter in law, Shelley. I am enjoying reading your blog, even though this is my first visit. I love your idea with the tree leaves and since it's almost Thanksgiving, maybe I'll wrap some little boxes, put them under our tree and let Corey open one every few days. Inside, I'll leave a reason why he is such a wonderful gift to me. I am so thankful for my best friend and spiritual leader. Thank you for being willing to give of your time and thoughts to minister to gals like me through this blog.
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