What We're Thankful For

One Thanksgiving-oriented activity I have been reading about for years is the concept called a "Thanks Jar." You take an empty jar, decorate it if you like, and leave it somewhere where the family can access it, along with a pen and some paper, on November 1. The idea is for everyone in the family to write down things they are thankful for, whether profound or everyday. Ideally, every family member should write something everyday, but 100 percent participation 100 percent of the period isn't the point: it's about thinking about being thankful for what you have rather than thinking about what you want. I'd actually read the idea for this several years ago, but I either didn't have a jar or I forgot until the week before Thanksgiving or I thought "There's only two of us; is this worth doing?"

After my frustrating allergic reaction to the shingles vaccine and James' heart attack, I figured if any year called for a Thanks Jar, 2016 was it.

Plus this year I remembered to save a spaghetti sauce jar. The instructions for the project said you could paint the jar, or even engrave it. I went for the simple approach, the deep purple Advent-color ribbon I had in one cupboard and a clearance kids' craft project (make an autumn necklace). The little slips of paper were just copier paper I scored and cut into eighths. And one freebie pen.

We decanted the jar this weekend. I'll leave you to guess who wrote what (some will be apparent) and there were some duplicates. Some of them required extra thanks. :-)

• milk
• iced tea
• Christmas music
• the woman who has put up with me for 26 years
• chocolate
• Snowy songs when I come home
• cold nights to snuggle under blankets
• beat the "widowmaker"
• 4-day weekend with my sweetie!
• my job
• gingerbread
• sunrises
• Thanksgiving (for reminding us what's important)
• a warm puppy
• all our friends
• sunsets
• James being better
• Tucker
• Books!
• Snowy
• Lassie
• good friends
• FALL!
• for surviving "the widowmaker"
• Christmas!
• sunrises
• dark chocolate
• sunrises
• a place to live, a job, good food to eat and lots of fresh water
• sunsets
• Eastern Standard Time!
• budgie song!
• wispy cirrus clouds against bright blue autumn skies
• James' cooking
• brisk breezes
• all the men and women who serve/have served in the Armed Forces
• our home
• did I mention books?

 I enjoyed this. I want to do it again next year.