Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Gratitude

A post by one of my favorite Dads SethD ...

When I think of my boys, I feel the most urgent emotional rush.  

Love beyond description.  More pride than any man can earn, hope that can heal the whole world’s worries.  

And sadness.  I’m desperately sad that they will have to find out how fucked up the world can be. Sad that they will find out that I’m not the coolest person alive. Disappointed that I did not have 20 more years with them so we could have done more growing up together.
 
Gratitude.
We have adopted the daily ritual of taking turns stating "our gratitude"
at one or more meals per day. Sometimes it’s deep. Sometimes it’s only
half heard. Sometimes it’s naughty but funny as hell, like when my six year
old professes his gratitude for his penis, “So I can eliminate the pee pee
my body doesn’t need.” and his armpits, "So that I have something to
connect my arms to my body.", etc.  How can we tell him to behave with
insight like this?

The other night my 4 year old  and I stated a few gifts for which we are grateful. He's so cute.  I asked Harper if he wanted to do his and he said not tonight. I said o.k. Then I thought about it and offered that gratitude is an important part of having a healthy mind and that sharing it is a generous act, and asked if he’d like to do just one. He cocked his head, looked toward the ceiling in thought and said “I’m grateful that my spirit chose you and mom to be my parents.” I remembered how around 3 years ago I’d explained that some people think that people’s spirits choose their parents. Never mentioned it again. What an awesome responsibility…to teach someone how the world works. How they work.  How easy it is to screw up.  How wonderful to see the glorious fruits of doing it right, if only once in a while.
Love beyond description.

SethD

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a fantastic idea...I use it myself quite often when I need to remember what I am grateful for in life. I think we will also take up the idea at the dinner table. Thanks for sharing. Sherry

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