valo at home day twenty-one: create - gratitude

As we continue living in our “new normal,” our circle has been struck with gratitude for things both large and small—a few extra minutes to sleep-in, the food on our plate, a letter from an old friend, time for walks.

Today, we invite you to notice these small moments using a gratitude jar.

Our teens recently crafted their own gratitude jars, and we were struck by the way this simple exercise helps us recognize the goodness of our days, despite the uncertainty of this time.

Curious? Come along!

Gratitude Jars

Materials

• Vessel. You can use just about any container. An old cup, mason jar, or glass bottle. Don’t be afraid to take a look in your recycling bin, an old jam or jelly jar is perfect!

• Paper

• Scissors

• Pens

• Optional: paint, stickers, glue, tissue paper. Anything you might have on hand to decorate your jar (if you feel like it!).

Step 1: (optional) Decorate your jar. You can paint it, glue tissue paper to the outside, cover it in stickers--or leave it as is!

Step 2: Cut paper slips. They can be any size you’d like, but they should be able to fit inside your jar. We cut ours 4in x 2in.

Step 3: Gather your pens and pencils and place them near the jar, along with your slips of paper. You want everything at the ready for when the spirit moves you.

Step 4: As you think of things you are grateful for, write them down on your paper slips and add them to the jar. You can do this all at once, and take a slip from the jar when you are seeking an uplifting reminder---or add paper slips to the jar over time, collecting moments of gratitude along the way.

Once you’re done, snap a pic and share it with us! We’d love to see what you’ve created (and if you’re so inclined, what you’re grateful for!).

P.S. This is the final post of valo at home (for now, at least!). Speaking of gratitude, many thanks to all who have come along for this journey. We’ve loved having the chance to connect with you. Please stay tuned for more ideas on how to "do" valo at home in the future. We have some exciting things brewing and look forward to sharing them with you soon.