SHARING YOUR GRATITUDE.

You know that tradition where everyone goes around the Thanksgiving dinner table and shares one thing they are thankful for? Does it work in your home? I've never actually sat at a table, where this activity has worked. Where the family honestly shares their gratitude with each other. Usually, we are all just too hungry to take it seriously. Maybe there's something wrong going on over here.

I decided though, that we ought to express our gratitude to each other. We ought to recognize our blessings within our families. So, this year we are going to approach it in a bit different of a way. This year we will be playing Acorns to Acorns after our feast. Adapted from the popular game Apples to Apples, Acorns to Acorns, helps us all to come to know and recognize what each other is grateful for.

Here's what you'll need:

Blank paper to make name cards
Little strips of paper (5 per player)
A big Bowl
Pens and Pencils
A prize for the winner

Here's how to play:

1. Everyone in the group is given a set of cards with every name in the group written on them. They can be pre-printed or everyone can make their own as the game starts.

2. Each person take three to five strips of paper (if your group is large it could even be one) and write one thing they are thankful for from the past year on each strip of paper. Fold the strips and place them in the bowl.

3. Someone then pulls each blessing from the bowl and reads them out loud. Each person then decides who the blessing belongs to by choosing from their name cards. On the count of three the cards are turned over. The person of whom the blessing belongs, speaks up and everyone who got it right receives a point.

4. The person with the most points wins!

Do you have a tradition of sharing your blessings with each other on Thanksgiving Day? Does it work in your home? I'd love to hear if you do, and if not, play along with Acorns to Acorns.

Acorn image via
President Monson quote from "Finding Joy in the Journey"