A Gratitude Attitude

It started when three different friends recommended a new book about being grateful for 1,000 little things. One friend told me that she has started recording her children's gratefulness in a daily thanksgiving scrapbook journal. I liked that idea, but I didn't think I could keep it up. Last night I was feeling down and decided to actually put my completed scrapbook pages in an album. I then started looking at the album and I started to feel grateful. My attitude changed quickly as I reminisced on all the good times. I've listed a few options of ways to cultivate a thankful heart this season, without the stress of trying to start a daily album.

A Card

With a card, not only will you be expressing thankfulness, but making somebody else feel good too. It can be simple. It can be handwritten. The point is to just do it, now. I like to pick the person who would least expect it and thank them for something most people wouldn't notice, like,"Thank you for offering to carry my groceries" or "Thank you for calling and checking on me." I think gratitude starts with a lack of expectations. 

A Layout

Even though the kids are able to write their own thank you cards, you might want something of your own to remember what they're thankful for. This layout was really simple as I just cut and pasted scriptures involving gratitude and let my daughter fill in the tags of what she was thankful for at the time. I love that it's in her handwriting as well.

An Album

If you or your family wants a gratitude album, but is not ready to try it 365-style, a mini book could be your answer. I used random photos from the pumpkin patch and some of my favorite fall papers. I repeated many of the scriptures used on my gratitude page, but added a few extras. Do you have any leftover pictures from an event? Putting them in a gratitude album with some quotes of what you're thankful for is not only easy, it will make you feel better.

If you are in a season right now when creating isn't an option, just take time looking at old photos or old scrapbooks and remember the hard times you've made it through. Be thankful for the people in the photographs and the ability to capture their smiles on paper. Then, pick up the phone and share the love by letting somebody special know that you're grateful for them. You can even be thankful for the phone. How cool it is that you can hear people's voices through a phone cord!