Our family LOVES traditions. It is deeply embedded into our family culture. The rhythms of traditions are a comfort. We have memories wrapped up around each tradition in a beautiful tapestry that makes up our family story. Holidays make for a GREAT opportunity to establish those rhythms as rungs for many memories to come.
Our Thanksgiving Chain has come and gone in our home mostly because our hosting of Thanksgiving has come and gone. As our kids have grown older, we find ourselves hosting more often and have provided more opportunities for us to practice our Thanksgiving Chain.
It is super simple. We prepare slips of construction paper and set them out with some sharpies and a stapler. Every guest has the opportunity to write as many as they like by simply adding a word/phrase/sentence of something that they are grateful for.
We keep the chain year by year and simply add to it. Each year, we share our chains we added and review year’s past. The chain tells a story! We remember who was at our table, what the circumstances of the world at that time were, some triumphs and some losses, and how we’ve grown. It reminds us of the story we are actively living out and how it is shaping us. It connects us through gratitude.
What is something simple you can start this Thanksgiving with your family? Here are some helpful questions to help spur your imagingation:
- Is it easy?
- Can all ages participate?
- Is it long-term sustainable?
- Is it thrifty?
We hope you feel inspired and that you too enjoy the family culture you set out to establish.