The best Thanksgiving ever

Halloween’s over. On to Christmas, right? NO! Let’s focus on THANKSGIVING first.

I love Thanksgiving.I think it’s my favorite holiday.It’s not that I’m a huge fan of turkey or stuffing (like the turkey OK, don’t care for the stuffing). It’s definitely NOT the football (I’ve tried – I really have – but football just doesn’t keep my attention).

I love gathering with good friends and family. I love cooking with women who are dear to me. I love setting a beautiful table using the best dishes. I love the anticipation of the feast as you smell that turkey cooking all day and as each dish is prepared. I love the old-fashioned all-too-rare focus on sitting at the table for a good long while, really talking and really enjoying our food.

I love Christmas too, of course. But Thanksgiving offers less stress and more joy in my book. I love the fact that the shopping and celebrating of Thanksgiving is quite simple and straight-forward. And the decorating takes just a few minutes – a few gourds, some Indian corn, maybe some autumn leaves and a nice table cloth – that’ll pretty much do it.

But what really makes me love Thanksgiving so much is that it forces me to think about my blessings. And when I adopt an “attitude of gratitude,” life is just so much happier.

Growing up, my dad would “set up shop” in the kitchen first thing Thanksgiving morning with a roll of cash register tape where he’d write down everything that he and anyone else who walked into the room was thankful for. He’d number each item and by the time dinner was ready, we’d have hundreds and hundreds of “thankful things” on that list. We’d put down everything from “lightbulbs” to “kindness” to “pumpkin pie.” Dad would drape the list like crepe paper around the dining room, and it helped us ponder our blessings as we enjoyed our feast.

This tradition has stuck with everyone in our family. As a college student in Boston, as a missionary in Bulgaria, during the time I worked in D.C., and on into my married life, the thankful list has been part of every Thanksgiving. Any roommate, friend or relative involved in any Thanksgiving celebration involving any Eyres has been asked to add their “thankful things” to a list (not many of us have made the effort to find cash register tape – but any old piece of paper will do).As a mom, I’ve loved focusing on gratitude with my own children each year.I’ve saved precious thankful lists dictated by my little toddlers and painstakingly written out by first graders with creative spelling.We’ve had contests to see who could create the longest list and have shared our “top ten” while enjoying our Thanksgiving feasts.

In the past few years, I’ve taken the “thankful list” idea in new directions with my family thanks to an idea from a friend. Starting at the beginning of November, we talk about what we’re most grateful for at dinner each night and write down our “thankful things” on “thankful leaves” that we add to our “Thanksgiving Tree.” The tree is just a little tree-like branch we found and stuck into styrofoam flower pot (covering that styrofoam with a little florist moss). The leaves are leaf-shaped pieces of yellow, red and orange construction paper that we write things on and tape to the tree. If I were crafy, it would be cuter. But it serves as well.

Another thing I’m doing this year to focus a bit more on my personal level of gratitude (which greatly impacts my personal level of happiness), is keep a gratitude journal on my blog. From Nov. 1 through Thanksgiving, I’m writing about one thing I’m especially grateful for each day. This little practice is forcing me to look for the positive every day and celebrate the good things that can be found even in hard days and hard situations. I’m really liking the person I am when I’m searching out and celebrating all that is wonderful in my life. If you want to follow my gratitude blog posts and add the things you’re grateful for, feel free to visit Five Kids in Five Years.

I hope that some of the ideas here may help you and your family embrace the joy of gratitude this month and make this the best Thanksgiving ever.

QUESTION: What are your favorite traditions and ideas for Thanksgiving?
CHALLENGE: Pick one new activity you’ll do this Thanksgiving Season to focus on gratitude.

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