Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Thanks-giving
My astute husband has said (lovingly, I'm sure) that I'll read anything, and my favorite genre of the moment is parenting tomes. On the side, I keep a stash of organizing and housekeeping books--my guilty little pleasure--but that's an illness for another day. I'm particularly enamored with two recent reads, Parenting with Love and Logic and The Blessings of a Skinned Knee. Last night I went to hear the author of the latter book, Dr. Wendy Mogel, speak to a large gathering of parents. She had many wise things to say, including the need for parents to counteract a culture that perpetuates the lie that happiness comes from obtaining more and more stuff. Not exactly a novel idea, but on the mark nevertheless. The antidote she offered was gratitude. So this evening, before I sang lullabies to the boys, I teed up the topic.
I want the two of you to know how grateful I am that you are my children. I'm so grateful for our wonderful family. What are you grateful for Max?
I'm grateful for animals and rainbows.
And what are you grateful for, Boo?
(After a brief pause...) Food. (This from the child who doesn't miss many meals.)
My turn again. I'm grateful for snowflakes. And for beautiful places, like the ranch. And for our home and the roof over our heads. How 'bout you, Max?
The world.
What are you grateful for, Boo?
Food. (Evidently, he was not kidding the first time.)
I'm grateful for Harley and Cassie, and for horses. Max?
Books. Books about the world and fossils and dinosaurs and animals. (Through the darkness, I could see Max's face. He was smiling.)
Boo?
Coach Alicia (his new gymnastics instructor). And Coach Doug (his old gymnastics instructor)
Now all of us were smiling. And as this grateful mother sang, her grateful children slept.
I want the two of you to know how grateful I am that you are my children. I'm so grateful for our wonderful family. What are you grateful for Max?
I'm grateful for animals and rainbows.
And what are you grateful for, Boo?
(After a brief pause...) Food. (This from the child who doesn't miss many meals.)
My turn again. I'm grateful for snowflakes. And for beautiful places, like the ranch. And for our home and the roof over our heads. How 'bout you, Max?
The world.
What are you grateful for, Boo?
Food. (Evidently, he was not kidding the first time.)
I'm grateful for Harley and Cassie, and for horses. Max?
Books. Books about the world and fossils and dinosaurs and animals. (Through the darkness, I could see Max's face. He was smiling.)
Boo?
Coach Alicia (his new gymnastics instructor). And Coach Doug (his old gymnastics instructor)
Now all of us were smiling. And as this grateful mother sang, her grateful children slept.
1 Comments:
The three of you were not the only ones smiling at these expressions of gratitude.
This grateful aunt laughed out loud at her younger nephew's first two (not really surprising) replies, and smiled at how fitting the other replies seemed, too.
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