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Thanks. I don’t think about that word or what it means as much as I should. However, for the past few days gratefulness seems to have become my default. Every time I turn around there is something else to be thankful for. Not big stuff . . . just things that I tend to take for granted. And, quite frankly, it feels really good. It’s hard to be to be worried about the usual stuff when I’m busy saying thanks for all the things that go right each day. I guess it’s appropriate. Thanksgiving is just one day away. But, I hope it’s more than just the holidays. I like being thankful. When I’m full of thanks, I’m also full of joy.

I thought of a tangible way for us at the Promise House to express our thankfulness. I put up a Thanksgiving Tree. Sophia and I pulled out the Christmas tree a few weeks early and pieced it together next to the fireplace. We put one string of white lights on it to give it some sparkle. Then we punched holes in index cards and looped some string through them. There is a big basket on the kitchen table filled with blank index cards. Whenever anyone thinks of something to be thankful for, they write it on the card and hang it on the tree. The tree is filling up! We have a lot of visitors at the Promise House and whenever someone comes in, I explain to them what it is and give them the chance to give some thanks. So far, 15 or so people have expressed their gratitude by way of the Thanksgiving Tree.

Here is Sophia helping me tie string to the index cards. I am so thankful for Sophia.

The Thanksgiving Tree!

Tangible Thanksgiving!