Seeing as it’s Thanksgiving, it seems fitting to talk about an idea my husband and I came up with to share with our kid(s).

It came up when we were at the cabin we’d been going to every year to celebrate my birthday. Bundled up in snow gear, sitting among fallen trees, looking at a cold lake.

We both like the idea of daily rituals, like prayers, but didn’t want to do anything religious. Coming from our differing backgrounds and wanting to raise our kids in an environment of spiritual openness and curiosity, it didn’t seem quite the right thing. One of the values we want to make sure we pass on is gratitude. Life is wonderful and hard won, and we want our children to appreciate what they have.

So we came up with the idea of Daily Gratitudes. Each night as part of their bedtime routine, the kids would sit with us and list things they were grateful for. This would be a useful reminder of the good in each day and, hopefully, keep them positive and grounded.

Obviously, Abhimanyu is only three weeks old and we have some time before this will come into play. But it’s on my mind now that it’s a real thing and not just a nice idea.