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How to Give
Uncheesy Thanks
A way to get real without drama
Asking people to go around the table and say what they’re thankful for at Thanksgiving sometimes feels cheesy because it’s forced. People are usually too sober as the dinner begins, and when they’re suddenly shoved onto center stage, they’re unable to talk about things that are meaningful to them without becoming embarrassed.
One nice thing to do is get a small moleskin journal (like one of these) and have people write what they’re thankful for, or suggest another topic for your guests to dedicate 25 to 50 words to. For example, “One person I wish were here with me” or “A food I once had and really loved at Thanksgiving.” It allows for a moment of contemplation without having to perform, and personal feelings can be shared quietly, by allowing everybody to read the entries. You can have guests sign the book as they await dinner, which may spark conversation, or you can have them fill it in afterward when everyone’s full and just sitting around.
That sounds like a really great tradition ecp007! I love the idea of figuring out how to actually make them permanent (resin?) in some crafty way, with the year listed at the top...I wish you could upload a photo of your tree to this post...soon enough,
Meredith
A tradition we do every year is that we buy our Christmas tree before Thanksgiving and put it up, with a tree skirt, but no ornaments. Then after Thanksgiving meal, I hand out little strips of colored paper to each guest. I ask everyone to put their name, and date on the back of the paper, and what they are most thankful for on the front. Then I have premade fancy clips and each person attaches...+READ
A tradition we do every year is that we buy our Christmas tree before Thanksgiving and put it up, with a tree skirt, but no ornaments. Then after Thanksgiving meal, I hand out little strips of colored paper to each guest. I ask everyone to put their name, and date on the back of the paper, and what they are most thankful for on the front. Then I have premade fancy clips and each person attaches their "Thanksgiving note" to the tree as the first (and most important) ornaments of the season. Later we decorate the tree as normal, leaving up the Thanksgiving ornaments. We save those ornaments in a special box, and now have 4 years of history of who attended our Thanksgiving dinner, and what they were most thankful for that year. Everyone really loves this tradition!-COLLAPSE
Speaking from the still-surprised-and-how-the-heck-did-I-get-here view of someone who's over 60 and a grandmother, I love your idea - if you take it one step further. Buy a large sized journal and bring it out every year. What an amazing treasure trove of memories and history of family and friends you'll have after 20 - 30 - 40 years! Priceless! Thank you for the suggestion! And hope you get...+READ
Speaking from the still-surprised-and-how-the-heck-did-I-get-here view of someone who's over 60 and a grandmother, I love your idea - if you take it one step further. Buy a large sized journal and bring it out every year. What an amazing treasure trove of memories and history of family and friends you'll have after 20 - 30 - 40 years! Priceless! Thank you for the suggestion! And hope you get yours started, Meredith.-COLLAPSE