A long time ago, we were elementary school students, doing what all little ones do the week of Thanksgiving: We wore Pilgrim hats and Squanto headdresses. We ate a Thanksgiving “feast” prepared by the room moms who wore white sweaters with Thanksgiving designs that we’d created for them using puffy paint. (C’mon, you know we all had one.) And, most importantly, we traced our little grubby hands on brown construction paper and, using each finger, made a list of the five things we were most thankful for. We pulled these “creations” out this week to take a look back, to get a better sense of ourselves. We thought that Jordan’s list would’ve included Ninja Turtles, Nerf guns, and Gameboys. We were sure that Amy’s would’ve surely had Disney princesses, Tamagotchis, and Beanie Babies. But they didn’t. Not even close. Our lists included things like “My mom and dad,” “My friends,” and “Jesus.” Through our construction paper hats, messy food-filled faces, and puffy paint sweaters, we were able to see what adults sometimes miss around the holidays, that the most important things can’t be worn, eaten, or crafted with puffy paint. Our lists included things that were meaningful. As adults, we’ve come to realize that one of the reasons God gave us five fingers is so that we’ll never forget what’s most important in life, that if you’ve got your first five, you’ll be just fine.
