Giving Thanks

Creating a Litany of Thanks with Children

Jacqui James
Co-editor, UU Faith Works

Years ago when I was serving as DRE at First Unitarian Church, Pittsburgh, PA, third- and fourth-grade teacher Jean Peterson talked with her class about the things for which they were thankful and then things for which they were not thankful. She arranged them into this litany that was used as part of the intergenerational Thanksgiving service.

Thanks For Our Faith

Let us express our thanks: For playgrounds, for a cat or dog, for rabbits, for horses,

We are thankful.

For playing an instrument, for a special dance, for a concert, for art, for the ballet,

We are thankful.

For baseball games, for parades and circuses,

We are thankful.

For food, our families, and for our homes,

We are thankful.

For a baby being born, for a special friend, for our lives,

We are thankful.

For an eclipse, for a sunset, for a rainbow, for peace, for love,

We are thankful.

But for crying and arguments with a brother or a sister, or for not having a sister or brother,

We are not thankful.

For people yelling in our ears, and for having to go to school when we don’t want to, or taking piano lessons we don’t like,

We are not thankful.

For thunder and lightning when they’re scary, or having to do chores, or being sick,

We are not thankful.

For littering and pollution, for people who hurt themselves and others, whether they hurt one person or many,

We are not thankful.

For all diseases, for killing whales and other animals,

We are not thankful.

For people dying of hunger, for all wars and hatred among people,

We are not thankful.