The spirit of gratefulness permeates the month of November like none other. There’s thankfulness for cooler weather (or is that just me?), people coming together to fill food pantries and donate turkeys, and then, of course, Thanksgiving.
One year, to celebrate the thankfulness I felt in my own heart, I created a “Gratitude Jar.” It’s a gift that keeps on giving to those we love.
How to Create Your Own “Why I’m Grateful for You” Jar
You’ll need:
- A pint-sized or larger jar, depending on the number and size of the tags you use.
- Paper and Pen
- Paint, Ribbon, markers, or vinyl letters to decorate jar
Cut paper into small tag-size pieces. On each piece of paper, write one specific reason why you are grateful for that person. The more specific, the better.
It can be something small or seemingly insignificant. Share a memory or a way that person makes you feel. You can use a random number of tags to be opened at any time.
Or…
You can create a jar with thirty-one tags. Years ago, I made a jar like this for both of my grandmothers. On each tag, I wrote a specific way they had impacted my life. I gifted the gratitude jar to each grandmother on Thanksgiving, asking them to open one tag a day in December. (It’s like opening thirty-one gifts in a month!)
I didn’t want either grandmother to have an ounce of doubt as to the difference they’d made in my life, and I especially wanted them to know how much I loved them. Little did I know I would lose both of them within a few years.
It’s never too late or too early to show our gratefulness for another person⏤but I can’t imagine a better month to begin than November!
Who would appreciate a Gratitude Jar from you this Thanksgiving?
