Way back when I was a teenager, we’d often have Thanksgiving dinner with my Aunt Darla and her family. Poor Aunt Darla. She tried very hard to make us all come together like a “normal” family, which often ended up as a weak and awkward parody of whatever it was that “normal” families did. I remember that during dinner she’d make us, one by one, share with the group what we were most thankful for. I hated doing this because I really just wanted to shovel potatoes into my mouth and eventually get to the pie. Even as a kid I found this “tradition” to be a bit forced and artificial. Also I thought I was totally too-cool-for-school to be genuine and vulnerable, and in front of my family, too! Ew! (Plus I just knew my cousins would tease me later, regardless of what I said.)
Well, nearly two decades later and my aunt would be pleased to know that at least one of her weird tradition stuck with me. The awkward vulnerability of thankfulness lives on! In the spirit of Aunt Darla I spent the past two weeks forcing (okay, politely and therapeutically suggesting) that the kids I work with create lists of the things they thankful for this year. Even the kids who are usually “too cool for school” (relatable) seemed to enjoy this project, and it was a lot of fun to learn about what these children value and why. Being thankful for Mom and Dad came as no surprise to me. Siblings and school were items I never would have thought to include on my own list but often showed up for my clients. Food and Star Wars, however, are both something my clients and I are consistently thankful for.
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