The Thankful Jar

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You’ve heard it said before, “Always be grateful for what you have.”

This year I have found myself needing to be very intentional when it comes to gratitude and thankfulness. I know despite a global pandemic there are many things in my life to be thankful for. However, these things can easily be overshadowed by the chaos in the world.

This Thanksgiving I am making an effort to focus on gratitude in unprecedented times, and teaching my children that you can be thankful even if your heart is hurting and there is uncertainty all around you.

Every Thanksgiving we go around the table and share what we are most thankful for. But this year, even before Thanksgiving Day, I am starting a “Thankful Jar.” I feel it is important to practice daily gratitude and teach my children to do the same. Each day we will write on a small piece of paper what we are most thankful for that day, and place it into the jar. Then, on Thanksgiving Day we will have a jar full of thankfulness to share with each other. 

Here are a few notes of gratitude from our “Thankful Jar”…

Food

I started to teaching my young children how lucky we are to have food security this holiday season. So many families around the globe are hungry and struggling. In the United States 10.5% of households were food insecure at some point in the year last year according to the USDA. So we are sure to express our gratitude for what we have. 

Family

I don’t know how we would have survived 2020 without each other to lean on. I have friends who were quarantined alone, and I cannot imagine the loneliness they must have felt.

Dedicated teachers

It’s no secret that teachers are superheroes and especially this year they deserve to be recognized for their extraordinary dedication, courage, perseverance, and relentless hard work teaching both virtually and face to face now.

The beautiful fall weather we have in South Carolina

My kids live to be outdoors! Whether it’s hiking, biking, playing soccer or jumping on the trampoline, we love the sunshine and warm weather we are lucky to have here in the Midlands. We would not do well in freezing temperatures for months on end! Thanks to our beautiful weather, we love being outside enjoying our neighborhood trails and playgrounds.

The “Thankful Jar” is a tradition I am proud of and plan to continue every year with my family. I hope they can always face the world with a grateful heart, and learn to give thanks not only in November but all year round.

What would be in your “Thankful Jar?”

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