My family took up a daily ritual when my four kids were young. I put a small basket and a large mason jar on the kitchen counter along with some small squares of paper. “Whenever you have sad or angry feelings, write about them and put the note in the basket,” I said to the kids. “Put your happy, thankful notes in the jar.”
Each night after dinner, I would pull two notes from the basket and two from the jar to read aloud and then pray about as a family. The basket contained notes—some written in crayon—that said things like “I’m mad” or “I’m lonely.”
The papers in the jar made me smile. My kids were grateful for little things such as finding a “perfect” rock or getting a compliment from a teacher. My notes expressed gratitude for landing a good parking spot at the grocery store or having a peaceful day with the kids.
Most evenings, the basket was empty, but the jar always held plenty. It was a sweet reminder to help all of us focus more on our blessings than our worries.
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