Gratitude

If I had to describe the one thing I have learned from all the dear people in Blogland it could be surmised in one word: gratitude.

Collectively, bloggers are very grateful and recognize the good in their lives. These past couple of months of blogging have made me aware of living in the moment and being cognizant of all that’s around me.

Some bloggers do Thankful Thursdays, Sunday quotes, or just tell uplifting tales of enduring spirit. After I read a couple of blogs I always feel great, don’t you? So many of us are from different parts of the world, different paths in life, but gratitude in Blogland is pervasive!

I was thinking of trying to bring this good feeling to our dinner table. I bought this book A Grateful Heart Daily Blessings for the Evening Meal from Buddha to the Beatles.

In it are quotes of gratitude from all over the world from philosophers, poets, all religions, just every walk of life. I started by reading a quote from Kabir, a Middle Eastern poet one night at dinner:


“Don’t go outside your house to see flowers.
My friend, do not bother with that excursion.
Inside your body there are flowers.
One flower has a thousand petals.
That will do for a place to sit.
Sitting there you will have a glimpse of beauty
Inside the body and out of it,
Before gardens and after gardens”

Well, the kids guffawed and fell off their chairs. But I’ve kept at it for the past few weeks. One night one smart aleck brought a bongo set up from the basement to beat along while I read. One night they hid the book on me in the kitchen couch.

But you know what? Slowly it’s creeping up on them, this gratitude thing. My 7 year old asks before dinner what I’ve chosen to read. One night after dinner she and my husband brought the book into the den and read a few more poems together.

The bongo player told me one night that she had marked a poem with the book’s ribbon that sounded good to her to share. I was stunned!

Now, about one month later, it’s becoming something of a ritual. One evening my college son called while we were eating. “Mom, you still reading poems from that book?” I said yes.
“Hey Mom,” he said,” That’s pretty cool”.

So, thank you, dear blogging friends, for having such a great affect on my family. Guess they won’t be hiding my book of gratitude in the kitchen couch anymore!