Oak Bay man builds 'advent gratitude tree' to provide daily positivity
As the days grew gloomier during the height of the pandemic, so did the mood of Michael’s family.
“Sitting around the dinner table, it was all negative, negative, negative,” Michael recalls.
But then one night, during dessert, there was the advent of something bright.
“We’re sitting there with our advent calendars, eating our chocolate,” Michael remembers with a smile. “And [I’m] thinking, ‘Hey! Wait a minute!”
Powered by the potential of a positive solution, Michael started driving to the hardware store to buy some wood, until his wife told him about a pair of pallets being offered for free online.
“I quickly turned directions and brought [the pallets] home,” Michael says. “I was also trying to make it that [this idea] doesn’t cost anybody any money.”
Priceless positivity was the focus of the project.
“I wouldn’t say I’m the best at being a handyman,” Michael laughs. “But I thought this is pretty simple.”
After cutting the wooden pallets into simple shapes, Michael and his three sons painted the front of them, wired lights to the back of them.
After setting it up in their front yard, they pondered the most important part of the project — what to include on what was to become an advent Christmas tree.
Instead of daily treats or toys, they made wooden signs to hang from numbered hooks on the tree.
“We sit around the dining room table and we brainstorm,” Michael says. “And then frantically make one for the next day.”
The signs included messages with tangible and free suggestions to make one's day brighter, from “Call a family member and say ‘I love you,’” to “Hide a positive note for someone to find.
“We were trying to figure out ways that we could do something positive that anyone could do,” Micheal says.
Last year, they hung 25 daily messages (from Dec. 1 to Christmas Day) on the gratitude tree, and posted pictures of them on social media. It inspired strangers to follow their positive suggestions, and students to create their own tree in a nearby school classroom.
While this year the same thing is happening outside their house, inside Michael says his family’s perspective has transformed from negative to positive.
“We’re always going to have challenges coming our way,” Michael says. “We can let those things get us down or we can lift ourselves up.”
And if we choose to plant seeds of positivity, we just might find a forest of gratitude will grow.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.