Does your family share their gratefulness around the holiday dinner table? Let me share a short story with you. When my daughter was a teenager, she wanted designer jeans. I was a single parent and they were not in my price range. She was furious with me and said I was ruining her life. I could not understand how she came to this conclusion for I was giving her what I could within my circumstances. I wondered why she was so ungrateful. So what did I do with my very hurt feelings? I asked a professional friend of mine why she was so ungrateful. Be careful what you ask for the answer may not be what you were expecting. He said to me, “She’s learned it from you.” Oh my goodness, this was astonishing to me. After all, I am on this spiritual journey that teaches this and also positivity. So when I recovered I shared my thoughts with him and he said,” Do you talk about not having enough money to give her what she wants? Do you play victim around being a single mom. ” I made him stop there. I had some thinkin to do!!!
Lo and Behold, he was right on target. I never stopped to think about this and that I was mirroring ungratefulness. What was I to do. I thought about this for a while and came up with what turned out to be one of the greatest blessings and lessons in my life. I started to have “gratefuls” at our family Sabbath dinners. They always included friends and family. “Gratefuls”, I word that I coined became quite the tradition at family dinner tables especially around holidays. Here is what happened. Within three months, my son and daughter begun viewing the world as half full. My friends children practiced their “gratefuls” on the way to our house. My son, a person with disabilities and limited language, learned a whole new vocabulary and loved going on and on with his gratefuls till we had to ask him…are you finished yet? We learned so much about each other and our goodness. We shared vulnerable moments that will be remembered and cherished forever.
So, please this holiday season, say your “gratefuls” at your dinner table and realize the miracles that can transpire by opening your hearts and souls to the goodness that lies within each of us. Teach your children gratefulness by example. It was purely by chance for me but hopefully I will inspire some meaningful sharing this holiday season!
Is Being Grateful just for Thanksgiving?! Or an EQ Way To Overcome Challenges?
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