There are lots of ways to express gratitude. But I sometimes I need an exercise, something visual, to help me really think about the things that matter to me most.
The answer this year was a Gratitude Tree.
It all started with a need to prune my Contorted Filbert Tree. It was blocking the pathway next to our home. Yay, I thought. That’s one of the reasons I bought the tree almost 7 years ago, so one day it would need to be pruned, and I could bring the limbs in the house to decorate with.
I cut down the crooked limbs, removed the leaves from the branches. And placed them in my favorite copper flower bucket.
These lovely branches were just perfect to create a Gratitude Tree.
Since Ben and I were home alone, he and I stamped some paper with leaf stamps and cut them out. And began to write some of the things we are grateful for. He wrote his family and our dog, Finn. He is also grateful for his best friend Connor, his teacher Mrs. Pope, video games and Harry Potter books.
I, of course, am most grateful for my family. My friends, good health, my home and food in my pantry are also at the top of my list. But I found myself thinking about other things. The little things (relatively)… my sewing machine, warm showers, bread just out of the oven, Sunday mornings, and felted wool slippers to name a few. I realized I could simply cover those branches in gratitude.
Who knew pruning trees could be so good for the soul?
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Snowman Hat update…. it took me long enough, but I have directions for making the snowman hat. I’ve posted it with the snowman kit tutorial if you’re interested.
I love reading your blog and have learned so much! Thank you for inspiring me! I too am so grateful for this time of year and my chance to reflect back upon all my blessings! Being Ben’s teacher is one of my many blessings! What a wonderful boy he is and how lucky I am to spend time teaching him daily. I love watching his face light up when he understands a new concept or idea! He truly is amazing!
Totally stealing this idea next year, fyi
Love this idea. I’ve done a gratitiude jar before, but I like this better because you get to see the reasons for gratitude just hanging there and it just looks a lot more festive than a jar. Thanks for the idea. I don’t think it’s too late to do this.
[…] the 50 things I’m most grateful for. I’ve done it before, last year our little family made a gratitude tree. I’ve found the process of writing down my blessings is always […]
This is a wonderful idea! My husband and I try to right 10 things that we are grateful for before we go to bed. Remembering to be grateful makes a difference!