THANKFUL TO GIVING: A FAMILY PROJECT
It is the first day of November, and in my mind, the holiday season. Every year, I hope with great anticipation for these days and look forward to the events, programs, meals and family time. And every year by the end of December, I am wiped out. Every year, my hope is for the true meaning of each holiday to be in the hearts of our kids but every year it seems to get bombarded with all the happenings. And don’t get me wrong, I LOVE ALLLLL the holiday happenings, but this year we are going to do something a little different. This November, we are going to make a list of everything we can think of that we are thankful for. After the list is full, we are going to brainstorm as a family, how we can match what we are thankful for to give to another person. For instance, I always mention that I’m thankful that we have a car to drive. That item we are thankful for would then be coordinated to how we can give to another person: washing a neighbor’s car. Another example is if someone says they are thankful for their toys, you as a family would brainstorm how to bless someone else with a toy (whether it be their own toy or a toy bought that the child earned money for).
Our hope is to go from talking about how thankful we are (and then quickly moving on to the next holiday activity), to making a lasting connection between gratitude and giving. We want to be present this season, we want to slow down and not only feel the blessings but BE the blessing.
This is a family project. This is to spur each other on to be the gift each of us is in order to be a blessing to another person. This is to take our eyes of off ourselves and onto the needs of someone else. This project is to encourage, inspire, shed light, and look up. Set a night this week, sit down as a family and fill out the “Thankful” worksheet. It is not meant to bring pressure, it does not have to be deep or spiritual, organized, or perfect. It is just about getting your family on the same page, talking about the reason for the season, and then coming to an agreement to give. Then each item on your “thankful” list is to be brainstormed as a family to figure out a way to connect to what your thankful for to a way to give. Write down the coordinated way to give on the “…to giving” worksheet.
For instance:
On worksheet “Thankful” - 1. food on our table.
On worksheet “To giving” - 1. bake cookies for a friend.
And so on.
I know for me, personally, gratitude is the antidote to anxiety. It shuts down fear and ushers in an attitude of hope. We all need hope and what better way to kick off the season to radiate it through thanksgiving. When life starts to feel hectic, when the kids start to complain or selfishness steals the meaning of the moment, this project will hopefully take the edge off. This "THANKFUL TO GIVING: A FAMILY PROJECT" is for you, your family, your kids, your heart and most of all, others. Happy November and please click the images below to print and fill out with your family.
