truly grateful

“Bless us, O Lord, for these thy gifts which we are about to receive and make us truly grateful.” I cannot count the times I have heard that prayer. It was the mealtime prayer of my grandfather. These warm, familiar words returned to me as I was finishing the last of my Thanksgiving cards. Thanksgiving cards – that sounds a little strange, I know. It is an odd little tradition I began after my son was born. I think that was the first year I realized what it meant to be “truly grateful.”

Throughout the year there are all sorts of people who bless our family in some way with their skill, kindness, encouragement and love. I keep a sort of mental list of these people and then some time around the second week of November, I start writing.

This year I began with a hefty chip on my shoulder. The exact reason for my bad mood seemed illusive and I didn’t have the mental energy to search it out so I procrastinated all afternoon until I finally ran out of excuses and just began writing my notes, chip still firmly in place. It didn’t take long, maybe only 5 or 6 cards, until the most wonderful thing began to happen – everything began to change. A smile replaced my frown, joy overwhelmed my meloncholy thoughts and thankfulness saturated my soul. And it was in that moment that I realized the prayer of my grandfather had been answered yet again.