We have so much to be thankful for, and our annual Thanksgiving Tree seems to agree! I stayed up so late cutting out little leaves the night before, and still the pile quickly dissipated. As the ideas began to flow, and we all scribbled out our gratitude – they begged me to cut more and more leaves! I think we could have stayed there all afternoon.
Once the leaves are all marked, I read them out loud to the family one by one. Little hands shoot up into the air every time their leaf is read out (and there are many repeats!). But as I yell out ‘Grandma Patty!’ and they are stifling screams of joy as they try to not pop out of their seats, it moves into a physical, communal form of giving thanks. Then the final step is to pull leaves from the pile and begin to tape them to the Giving Tree in our hallway. Again, there is solidarity and joy. They love to pull out their own – but equally love to read another’s, laugh out loud, and then find the perfect place for it. It’s true that the blessings in each of our lives are entwined, and that our joy is doubled!
I liked this idea so much I started it with my kiddos.