Gratitude

Tonight before dinner, we folded our hands to pray. Casey asked, “Why, Mom?” And I told him simply that we give thanks for our food before we eat it. That was enough answer for the moment and Casey started in to pray:

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

Amen…Pass the cheese!

(Which is how we always finish the prayer; thanks to a suggestion from Grandpa.)

When we say this prayer each night before dinner, I try to ignore the way Casey might be squirming in his seat or sneaking a bite before we’re through. I try to let go of the events of my day, my job, my sore shoulders. I try to just close my eyes and really feel these words in my heart and truly send my gratitude out to the universe.

My life is so full of blessings, and teaching my son about a few of them is my honor and my challenge. And I do it with a grateful heart.

P.S. Saying Grace is a wonderful little book of mealtime prayers from many cultures. We chose our prayer, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, for its simple and universal expression of gratitude for the life’s bounty.