Originally published at Orange County Catholic
THE THANKSGIVING holiday is this week, which you’re probably acutely aware of. Have you done your grocery shopping yet? There’s so much to plan!
It’s a busy time. But I’m not here today to offer entertaining tips or tasty recipes. Today I’m meditating on something so much simpler, it feels silly to even say it out loud: we would all benefit from more gratitude in our lives.
My husband and I were recently confronted uncomfortably with some bad ingratitude in our children. It came up in one particularly trying evening, involving back-talk, rudeness and demanding attitudes. We’re blessed with a generous family, and you might say, burdened with a few “gift giving” love languages in our house. It’s a dangerous combo, and we had dropped the ball in teaching them to be thankful for what they have. Something had to be done.
Besides lamenting the appalling entitlement on display in our young children (they’re ages 6 and under.) and all I could do was over-correct, so we started deliberately saying thank you too much.
Thank you for handing me that fork. Thank you for sitting down so I can put on your socks. Thank you for getting into your car
