My Gratitude Project #1--Thankful Turkey

I had a nightmare that my house was really a shack with a dirt floor. It was so small there was only room for one bed. A government inspector came by to look at my kids' underwear and declared it to be too dirty. As if that wasn't bad enough, I learned that my mortgage was very large. Then I woke up, saw that I lived in my little house with a real floor, and felt incredibly grateful for my middle-class life.

Lately, I've wished I could hook myself up to an IV filled with positive thoughts. Our world is so full of negativity. Could it be that we need a little more Thanksgiving in our lives? Like a lot of people, I usually spend a lot of time in October and November getting ready for Christmas. This year, I'm changing things up and celebrating Thanksgiving with wild abandon.

The Thankful Turkey

I found a cute idea in this month's Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The author copied an idea from Elf on the Shelf, and invented a new tradition: the Talk Turkey. I happened to have a little wooden turkey and hot-glued a clothespin to the back. I call mine the Thankful Turkey. Every night, we take turns hiding the turkey in a different place. Whoever hides it will also attach a note to help us think of things we're grateful for. I can see people using the Thankful Turkey at work, at home or at school. It doesn't have to be just for families.

I was a little worried my kids wouldn't participate, but in their signature style, they're running with it. Here's a sampling of gratitude notes they've attached. They made me laugh:

"What do other people have that you don't?"

"Why are you thankful for teenagers?"

"Why are you thankful for violence?"

And, last but not least, this one placed on the pillow of my son who hates turkey: "Why are you thankful for turkey?"

What do you think I should write on my Thankful Turkey next?