A few years ago my husband decided to start a new family tradition. Each night after dinner we go around the table and take turns saying at least one thing that we are grateful for.
You would think that coming up with ONE thing you are grateful for each day would not be too difficult…well, you would be wrong. Oh sure, there are many days where it is easy; where the hardest part is deciding which thing to say because there are so many things you are grateful for…but there are other days…days where nothing has gone right, or where you just feel down…those are the days where it can be almost painful trying to come up with something meaningful. This seems to be hardest for my son. He takes SO long to come up with something to say, and then the majority of his “grateful’s” revolve around food. He will name specific foods, different meals of the day, the utensils and dishes he uses to eat said food with…you get the idea. The boy loves food!!
There are times when this has caused other family members to challenge him on what he is grateful for…surely he must be grateful for more than what he’s just inhaled at the speed of light!
One particular night recently as he named off some trivial food related item…again…his dad questioned him on his seemingly lack of thought on his “grateful” item. His response was eye opening for me. He said that he can only focus on one thing at a time and because he wants to hear what others are saying for their “grateful’s” it makes it difficult for him to come up with something of his own, especially in a timely manner.
That got me thinking…Maybe it doesn’t matter what he comes up with. Who really cares if he says the same two or three things night after night. Maybe what matters is that for those few minutes, my boy, who lives in his own little world 95% of the time, is invested in his family and what they are saying. He isn’t thinking of his next video game or what’s for dessert…he’s actively listening to what others have to say. He’s hearing positive, loving, and uplifting things. He is putting someone else before himself.
Austin “focusing” on his baby sister. (1995)
I think we could all take a lesson from Austin in this…when others speak are we completely invested in them and what they are saying and feeling? Or are we only half listening and thinking about our own issues and schedules? Or maybe texting, emailing, or on Facebook at the same time we are “listening”. I admit I am guilty of this myself. It seems it is getting harder and harder to really be present in the fast paced digital world we live in. I am going to try harder to be present. Maybe tonight you could try it too. And who knows…you just might find something new to be grateful for. 🙂
Seeing Through Dark Eyes 
I love this! Again, your heartfelt words have touched me. Keep the posts coming.
Love this, love you. How often do I find myself being partially there with my kids. It’s a huge habit I have to break. Thanks for the inspiration.
This was great Angela. Thanks for this incite. One of my sons says the same prayer night after night and maybe for him it is heart felt and what means the most to him. He has a hard time too focusing on more then one thing. I love this message. Thanks for sharing