10 Touching Gestures to Express Your Thanks This Thanksgiving

In my opinion, I find Thanksgiving an interesting holiday as it tightens the bond within the community and gives the valuable lesson of never taking anything for granted in life. This joyous day reminds many people, apart from turkey, mashed potato and pumpkin pie, of “connection-responsibility-fulfillment.’ Reading this article will illustrate the above sub-heading, and motivate a few people to do so on that very next Thursday- here are ten Thanksgiving Thank-you notes that are intended to have the ability to encourage those friends and family members who are present in your life and yours a bit happier.

 

 

Say a Meal with Someone in Need

Thanksgiving is associated with a large reception where there is an excess of food but for some, this is not the case. It’s important to think about having someone over who might be lonely or who may not be able to afford to catch a meal on his or her own. This could be a friend who could not get back home during holidays, a neighbour who does not have anyone to spend time with or a family member with whom they are having some misunderstanding. In case you cannot open your door to others, many local charities and shelters invite individuals to help prepare and serve Thanksgiving meals for the needy. Volunteering can change your view, it takes you to be even more thankful for what you have, while making others happy at the same time.

Create a Gratitude Jar

Encourage a tradition to follow past Thanksgiving by giving thanks to a jar. Set an empty jar on the table with scraps of small papers beside it, the idea is to have guests jot down something they are thankful for throughout the day or at dinner. You might jot down something as basic as “warm coffee in the morning” or as complex as “family support.” Afterward, you can share who took which note and read the notes that were written one by one. It has not only made everyone have something positive to think about but also an object to help remind people of Thanksgiving every year.

Write Personalized Thank-You Notes

Given the fact, that lately people mostly use text and electronic tools for communication, the hand-written thank you letter will go a long way to tell the recipient how special they are. Instead of sending speedy mass forwards happy Thanksgiving, grab a pen and pad and write genuine and heartfelt messages to those who helped shape you. You could thank a family member for support, a friend for company, a coworker for help or any other community member for his or her positive work like a librarian or a teacher. Make them understand that you appreciate their presence in your life. A verbal message can make their day and the written word, personalized and thoughtful, a remembrance that is meaningful during the height of the giving season.

Cook a Dish for Someone You Care for

Traditional Thanksgiving meal is a combination of family favorites and experimental dishes. Food traditions are part of culture and history inside a home so if a certain meal has been taken by your ancestors, prepared by your grandparents or grandmother, a certain dish reminds you of someone or somewhere, take your time to prepare it this Thanksgiving. Let people know the history of the dish and let them understand why you associate it with your family. Whether you have your grandmother’s stuffing recipe or your aunt’s pumpkin pie recipe, this serves not only to pay remembrance to loved ones who are no longer living but also to keep a memory alive. When you take a bite you can discuss something and share a good laugh or even have tears roll down your cheeks from sheer joy.

Express Gratitude in a Family Circle

Get everyone to sit down for the Thanksgiving dinner and ask everyone to hold hands in a circle then everyone says one thing they are thankful for. A practice like this brings out positive energy that is embraced by people and helps family and friends feel closer at the end of the day. It makes people think of what they want and grants an opportunity to share emotions which might be kept to oneself. For families with children, this may be a perfect opportunity to explain to children the concept of bargaining and help them identify such a value in their lives.

Create Care Packages for the Less Fortunate

I have come to understand that gratitude is most effective when people can turn their feelings into action. For Thanksgiving, one may wish to assemble relatively simple ‘care packages’ for the needy in your community. These packages could be things such as socks, toiletries, some snacks, and possibly personally penned-down words of encouragement. Get your family to help put together these packages and deliver them to homeless shelters or the homeless themselves. It warms people and at the same time makes everyone equally become more humbled, more thankful and most of all, more compassionate regardless of status in life.

 

 

Catch Up with Old Friends and Relatives

Thanksgiving is also an appropriate reason to take the lead and give a call to a person, you have not spoken to for some time, today. It’s appreciated even if calling them and informing them that you love them is enough, or you can write and click that link and reassure them that you cherish them. As much as we may wish to, in some instances, other affairs come in the way and make us sever contact with friends we hold dear. A brief respite may jog both of your memories of the good times and to whom you can turn for assistance. It is a simple act that many do not think about but one which will come in handy, especially in the years which are deemed as the time of giving.

Volunteer as a Family

Volunteering also helps people who are in need, it also helps to fortify family ties and generate thankfulness. Check the accuracy of the public services database in your province and try to locate a charity, a soup kitchen or a food bank where all your family members will be able to participate in volunteering work. Feeding people, giving out clothes or just helping perhaps can be an eye-opener for people to be thankful for what they have. Consequently, not only you will receive tremendous benefits, but as a result of participation and contribution, you will gain a fresh perception of the necessity and possibility of working to get an insight into supporting communities and also the planet. Everyone can be encouraged to keep on helping others hence making gratitude an attribute that will remain with the family for many years to come.

Practice Mindful Gratitude

Gratitude might not sound like too much fun, but during Thanksgiving, people can focus on actual mindful gratitude that might help train a person into gratefulness easily enough. Take 5 – 10 minutes of your time alone or with your family to close your eyes and go over the past year and think of how some things you are thankful for. You can do this in the form of a guided meditation, writing in your diary/ journal or a group discussion. When you take your time and taste each moment, you will add even more value to your Thanksgiving gatherings. The mindful practice of gratitude can also lead to low stress and high happiness and enable you to refocus on the things that count.

Say Thank You to Nature

Thanksgiving is a beautiful occasion when you can look at trees see the bright green of Fall and smell the fresh terracotta of the new season. Step out, go for a walk and view the world, and perhaps bring the whole lot along with you on one of the Thanksgiving Day walks through the autumn leaves or smell the clusters of flowers and in the worst case scenario, get rid of the noise. At the same time, walking try to think of how the natural environment enhances your life and brings you the basic pleasures in life that we often overlook. This practice not only guides you to thank you for the space but also reminds you and others to be grateful for the beauty of the things around you, which is a blessing in one way or another.

 

 

Conclusion

Thanksgiving is a unique chance for a person to open up whether to oneself, family, or other people in the community. When you integrate any of these types of appreciable gestures, you are not only improving on the general pleasantness of the holiday but also sharing positives with the people who happen to be around you. However, the truth is that gratefulness is one of the easiest methods of happiness or achievement in life. As you celebrate Thanksgiving, may you be surrounded by much to be thankful for and may it shine a positive light on the world.