The giving(thanks) tree

I truly believe that when we take time to be thankful for what we have, we focus less on what we don't have.
When we become aware, through gratitude, of all the good things in our lives, the bad things just sort of fade away.
It's not that hard times and bad things don't exist, or that we do not and will not face trials and difficult circumstances.
But when we choose to give thanks, to see the good, the lovely, the providential, in spite of the bad, the ugly, and the seemingly random trials, we render those lesser things powerless in our lives, and we become free to really bear joy.
Giving thanks.
It is a way to take back our lives, our joy, from those things that would try to steal them away.
One thing I want to teach my sons is gratitude.
I want them to know that no matter how bad things may get, there is always something to be grateful for.
There are so many things in this world that are hard and cruel.
And there are so many things that are not.
That we live and breathe and get to be a part of this story of life at all, the sun that rises golden and sets fiery red across the plains, the trees that dance with the wind and the creek that babbles and rolls, families and friends, the sounds of laughter and grieving which assure us that we are alive and we feel things deeply, salvation in this life and eternity in the next, just these are enough to evoke a swell of gratitude in me. To be thankful for this beautiful disaster that is life.
One way we are trying to make gratitude tangible this year is by having a Thanksgiving tree in our home.
This idea is not original to me. I have seen it done in many homes via the blogosphere, and think it is a good way to practice being aware of gratitude, not just on Thanksgiving day, but always.
Here's what we are doing: I pruned a big branch from my apple tree, and stuck it in a large pot. Then, I cut various leaf shapes out of construction paper (fall colors) and placed them in a basket near the tree that has a few pens, a hole punch and some ribbon in it as well. Every day, from now until Thanksgiving, we will write things we are thankful for on the leaves, and hang them on the tree. On Thanksgiving day, we will share all the things we are thankful for.
What I like about this so much, is the visual representation of what gratitude can do. It can take a dead, dry branch, and fill it with life and color once more, just like giving thanks can revive and renew with hope once again our tired and naked souls.