Ahhh…Thanksgiving. That often overlooked holiday sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas. You know, the one holiday that can’t really be commercialized, so the stores pretend it doesn’t exist?
And yet, it is one of the most important holidays of all, because instead of focusing on material things and “stuff to buy”, we can spend this time focusing on family, gratitude and thankfulness…the things which are truly important in life.
In my family we started the tradition of a Gratitude several years ago as a way to spend some time reminding ourselves of all the many great blessings for which we have to be thankful.
A Thanksgiving Gratitude Tablecloth
This is an easy and inexpensive way to start a Thanksgiving tradition in your home. All it takes is an inexpensive, washable, light-colored cloth tablecloth and some permanent fabric markers, which can be bought at any craft or fabric store.
On Thanksgiving Day, before your family sits down for the Thanksgiving Feast, spread out the tablecloth and have them gather around the table. Ask each family member to think about 3 things that they are thankful for this year. Have them write on the tablecloth these three things, along with their names and the year. The idea is to help your family (and yourself) focus on the things they are thankful for. As you bring the tablecloth out each year it will bring back many happy memories as the family reads and reminisces over what they wrote in previous years. This memory tablecloth is a simple, yet meaningful, Thanksgiving tradition.
Perhaps the feeling of gratitude can be best summed up by this quote…
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
– Melody Beattie
~Kate
Enjoy your Coffee Break!
Related articles
- Upgrade Thanksgiving With a Gratitude Visit from Positive Psychology (wisdomwithinconsultancy.com)
- Susan Vollenweider | A grateful hug to 30 Days of Thankful (kansascity.com)
- DIY Idea: Hand Dyed Shibori Tablecloth – House of Earnest (apartmenttherapy.com)
