During the time I was involved in a Korean lady’s art group at the North Shore, I often added a healing component into the session. One day, I recommended making thank you cards in which we could write 10 things that we appreciated about our husband then decorate the card by a drawing or painting.  One of the members said it was easy to write 10 things that she didn’t like about her husband, it was not so easy to think about what she actually appreciated about him. I encouraged her think of at least one thing and to make a card. When everyone had made a card, I asked them to share the following week about how their husband responded to them when he was given the card.

It was surprising to hear what they had to say.  The member, who had difficulty finding good things about her husband, left the card on his desk because she felt too shy to give it to him directly. Later she found the card attached on the computer and her husband became softer towards her than before. Another member said her husband started to call or text her when he was late – which was the main reason they used to argue before. Another said her husband started to help her doing housework a lot.  And another member said that the big change in her family was herself. She used to complain about her husband a lot, but while making the card she realized how good he was. So she became kinder to her husband.  The changes took place from making the thank you cards and was a great outcome I had not expected.

We know we should show our love to our children by expressing our appreciation and gratitude to them, for who they, are and what they do, but sometimes we forget to do the same for our partner or husband or wife.  And our example of building a good relationship with our partner is also a great means of teaching our children how to also relate well to others.

Now it is a good time to think what we appreciate about them? Who knows?  This exercise could bring big changes in our family as well.