We put together a blessing box for my niece’s birthday last month.
As every blessing box has done in the past, this one moved her deeply.
It’s a simple idea that doesn’t cost much (I paid a dollar for the box) in money, but requires a little time, some thought and a willingness to bless someone else.
The concept is easy: a little box (this one said Happy Birthday on it, but we’ve used jars or gift wrapping bags for the same effect) filled with affirming, encouraging and loving statements for the recipient.
How to make a blessing box.
Contact people who love your recipient and ask for their help.
Explain you want to bless the loved one with words of affirmation.
The subject line of the email I sent said, “Make L laugh or sigh.”
It helps if you give them a sentence or two to prompt their short statements:
“When I think of L, I think of_________”
“This is what I love about L,__________”
“Whenever I see _________, I think of L.”
Give them a deadline.
I tell participants not to overthink their answers, so a short deadline actually works well.
Scaled down version.
(We had 36 hours.)
No negative or ironic statements, they need to be positive.
The point is to bless the recipient.
Write as many sentences as you like, but three sentences from ten people are plenty.
Gauge the number you want based on the size of your box.
Process the answers
My niece’s father, uncle, cousins, boyfriend, and other friends sent answers right away.
I printed them out and cut them into slips of paper.
Folded them in half, some twenty-six comments filled the box.
Done!
Explain the box to the recipient
Not my niece, but another: “Girl reading a letter” (Wikipedia)
My niece opened up the box and was puzzled to find it full of paper.
I had taped a copy of the prompt sentences in the lid–so she could understand what some of the sentences meant.
It all became clear after she read the first statement.
Here are some of hers:
“When ever I think about L, I think of her spontaneity, smile and laughter.”
“She always has to do things differently.”
“I think of a beautiful young woman with excellent advice about life.”
It was easy.
Short of blessings?
We’ve used this idea many times over the years. For birthdays, we usually try to match the number of statements with the age of the recipient.
(It took me a while to find 85 for a friend–but then, he had a lot of friends to help!)
When one relative turned 50, we needed a few extra by the time the answers rolled in.
So, we added our dog’s favorite things about C:
“She takes care of Sophie (her dog).”
“She has a nice yard to run in.”
It made C laugh–which was the point.
Besides, our dog truly loved those things about C!
Why a blessing box?
We live in a society that often forgets to affirm.
My niece works a high-pressure job.
I wanted her to know how much she is admired and loved.
It worked.
She hugged me after she read every slip of paper. “You have no idea how much I needed this today.”
I’m not sure who got the bigger blessing–my niece or me.
We can all use a blessing or two or twenty-six–you don’t even need to use a box!
Tweetables
How to make a blessing box. Click to Tweet
What is a blessing box? Click to Tweet
Why we need blessing boxes. Click to Tweet
What a wonderful idea! And I love the dog’s blessing.
Hey, they’re part of the family, right? 🙂