Beginnings of Gratitude

"I have found that it is not enough for me to be thankful. I have a desire to do something in return. To do thanks. To give thanks. Give things. Give thoughts. Give love. So gratitude becomes the gift, creating a cycle of giving and receiving, the endless waterfall." -Elizabeth Bartlett

I fear that an understanding of gratitude is a long way off for Maeve.  She's only 2 1/2 and still just working to grasp the abstract concepts we talk about every day.  Love, pride, hurt, these are things that are still making their way into her head and becoming understood, thankfulness isn't quite there yet.

She is, however, making progress in spontaneous politeness, which seems to me to be a good start.  I get please and thank you, unprompted sometimes, pretty regularly.  And sometimes when she's particularly excited, a high, squeaky, oh thank you, I LOVE it!  Or if she's really excited about dinner, a that will be so yummy! which is as good as a thank you to any mom.

Myself, I am grateful every day for this child that communicates with me, that I can play with and sometimes even carry on a serious conversation with.  I am hugely grateful for a husband who puts in long hours, overtime every day, just so I can be outside the paid workforce and bring up my daughter.  I am overwhelmingly grateful for this home, our neighborhood, all the trees in our yard, and the birds that come and go from the bird feeder, single file.  I love being here, I love why I'm here, and I love what I get to do while I'm here.

So have a happy Thanksgiving tomorrow, friends, as I am taking that day off, and will see you again on Friday.  I don't have to tell you to be grateful, as I'm sure you are, just make sure you enjoy the holiday.