Ten years ago, when my children were still young, we began a family gratitude ritual that has become one of our most cherished traditions.
It all started because I wanted to teach Joshua, then five, and Joel, then two, about thankfulness in a way that felt more meaningful than simply saying, “Be thankful.” One day, Joshua ran into the room, held up a dime, and asked, “Mommy, will you take down my piggy bank so I can put this in?” Inspired by that moment, I wondered if the boys might enjoy a special “bank” for saving our family blessings—the big and small events that bring us joy.
I rummaged around and found a small box that felt just right. Gathering the boys around the kitchen counter, I set it down and asked, “Do you know what this is going to be?” They shook their heads. I explained, “When something really good or exciting happens, like losing a tooth or being kind to someone, we’ll write it down and put it in this box, like a piggy bank for our blessings. We’ll call it our Blessing Box.”
I placed the Blessing Box on top of the refrigerator, and every time we wanted to add something we were thankful for, we’d bring it to the dinner table. We decided to open it each Thanksgiving morning, reading through the notes to remember and celebrate our blessings as a family.
When the kids were young, my husband and I wrote down their ideas for them. Moments like “Joel no longer wakes up to eat a banana in the middle of the night” and “Joshua was kind to Joel even when Joel hit him” filled the box. Not only did it inspire thankfulness, but the Blessing Box also provided little bits of extra recognition for good deeds and behavior, which the kids enjoyed, especially as they were learning about kindness.
As they grew older, they began writing their own notes. As parents, Kevin and I found it insightful to see what each child considered important—whether it was winning a basketball game, getting a new pet, or having Dad return from a business trip. They learned that anything, even the smallest event, was worth celebrating.
In recent years, we’ve settled into a monthly routine for this family gratitude ritual. At the end of each month, we all sit down to dinner with a piece of paper at each place setting. As we prepare our plates, we each write down something we’re grateful for and place it in the box. This regular, family moment of thankfulness has become something we all look forward to.
But our favorite part of this thankfulness tradition is Thanksgiving morning. We gather around the Blessing Box to read each note, taking turns and laughing over memories. It’s a beautiful way to start the day on a positive note. After breakfast, I collect the notes, place them in a dated envelope, and tuck it away, so our family’s gratitude journey is preserved over the years.
With a full decade of thankfulness activities tucked into our Blessing Box, I know this simple tradition has helped our kids grow up in a thankful home, where gratitude and family bonding are celebrated year-round.
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