Thankful

If you are on facebook you are probably sick of November, with all of the thankful daily posts.  My favorite facebook posts are the posts that start a discussion or prompt a comment, or gives me more information on a subject I am interested in that I did not have without it before.  I don't need a 20 something list of the things people are thankful for.

What is important to me is teaching my children gratitude.  It's also important to me to show them gratitude by example, and I am not sure I am always so great at that.  I always remind them to say "Thank You's" and "Please's."  But, they don't often remember on their own without the reminder, and then they just hear me say it over and over and over again.

More important than just having manners, is thinking about what is meaningful in you life; it's why you make the decisions you do, it's being appreciative of life's little gifts.  When we see a beautiful sunset, do we say thank you?  No, but we do take a picture because we think it is beautiful, or sit and watch as the sun dips below the horizon.  They are the things that take our breath away and the things that demand our attention or what we want to pay attention to when we have the time.

Do your children stop and stare at the sunset, and how do you exhibit being thankful or being in awe of it?  I have no doubt that they will also one day sit and stop running around to watch it set.  Will they think: my mom appreciated the sunsets?  Probably not, because most people appreciate them.  Is it something I am thankful for?  Sure.



Thanksgiving is not one of my children's favorite holidays.  Honestly, it wasn't one of my favorite holidays growing up either.  This year I am going to attempt a few games that they can possibly look forward to next year. I don't need it to be their favorite holiday, but it is so food focused that we don't always think about the significance of a meal bringing us all together, and sometimes the company it can bring to your table is rare and special. I am thankful for that group, and however it came together.

My daughter did remind me this year that we haven't done our thankful tree yet.  I usually tape a paper tree together that starts out bare and gets filled up with leaves.  On the leaves we write the things we are thankful for in life.  This is much like the facebook posts we see everyday.  But it prompts a good discussion with the kids and instead of being put out to the world it is taught to those that need to learn about what is important to each of us.  I learn about what my kids think is important, and sometimes that's a surprise.

Much Love,
Happy Thanksgiving,

~Perry Mama

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