one of the greatest gifts my parents gave was teaching me to be grateful.  i think it’s led to my ‘glass half full’ outlook on life, and it’s a gift i want to give my kids as well.  they will probably grow up wanting for nothing – we have a roof over our head, plenty of food and car to get us where we need to go, among many other things.  i don’t want to guilt them, but it’s important that they understand that there are so many who are struggling just to get their next meal or to find shelter each day.  we’re starting with a simple, age-appropriate, and visible idea this holiday season with our gratitude tree.  we’ve been at it for several days, and each of us has the chance to write something that we’re thankful for each day – and we’ve seen everything from family members to food to barbies and hot wheels.  hey, it all counts!  and they’re really into it.  i had originally thought it would be a thanksgiving activity, but the kids have gotten so excited about it that i think we’ll keep it up through christmas and keep adding as we go through the season.

it’s the last thing we see before we go upstairs at night, and a nice reminder for all of us to count our blessings.