Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Recording Gratitude: You are Never too Old or Too Young

This post is dedicated to Donna with thanks.


If we are still hearing about the power of gratitude in books, on Oprah and on the net, it is in large part because of  Sarah Ban Breathnach and her seminal work: Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy published in 1994.  That book spoke in part, about the importance of gratitude: all you have is all you need" wrote the author.  Oprah discovered the "pink book" in her offices and the world was never the same again.

Ban Breathnach appeared on the Oprah Show maybe 10 times to talk about Simple Abundance and about the power of gratitude to transform lives.  She then published a little book called The Simple Abudance Journal of Gratitude in 1996.  I have begun writing again  in this journal.  I purchase them on Abe Books and often get them for a song.  I know they are also available on ebay. Of course, any piece of paper will do to record five things you are grateful for that happened in your day.

SBB has come out with a children's book with the theme of gratitude at it's core, it's titled: The Best Part of the Day.  The book is beautiful with it's illustrations by Wendy Edelson, there's a lot to see on the page and the text is rhymed. I purchased my copy and after having read it, know who I am going to give it to. An activity sheet has been created to accompany said book and I think that cultivating an attitude of gratitude with the very young just might make a big difference in the world we live in. 

You could create a gratitude journal by assembling 7 sheets for a week of daily thank you's.  Or, you could assemble 4 sheets at a time for weekly entries for each month.  A parent could read the book in the evening before bed, gather up the child's gratitude list and on Sunday, the child could write/draw on the activity sheets what he/she was grateful for during the week.  The journals could be seasonal too, as the book is divided.   You can find the activity sheet here. You can purchase the book at Costco if you are in the States (I saw that SBB had a signing there in September) or at Ebay, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository, Amazon, etc.  This book makes a thoughtful gift for any family that you love.

Yours in Simple Abundance, 

Stella

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for answering my request so soon. I look forward to reading your blog. You put so much effort into your blog and you can see that. Please don't ever stop. Happy Christmas and I look forward to many more of your blogs in 2115. Donna

Lizette said...

Especially at this busy time of year, it is easy to forget this simple practice of gratitude. I am grateful for your beautiful, meaningful postings and photos. I agree with Donna. Joyeux Noel, Stella!

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