I am thankful for kids who learn about the feelings of gratitude. Perhaps I realized it more than ever last night when a mother called me to ask if she and her daughter could stop by for a few minutes. She gave me no clue about the purpose of the visit, but her tone seemed a little frustrated.
Mother and daughter arrived, the eight year old carrying her gratitude journal and one of those horse leg size pencils from the first grade. (I told you that I give grat journals to everyone!)
Now, let me be clear. An eight year old and a gratitude journal may not be the same as a 30 year old with a gratitude journal. But, it’s a start.
Here’s what happened. Judy came into the kitchen and plopped down in the chair at the kitchen table. She dropped her journal onto the table and placed the pencil beside it. She was having a few gratitude issues — best way to put it, I suppose.
The conversation went something like this. Judy started by saying that she had written in her journal everyday except yesterday. I told her how proud I was of her and asked if I could look at it. I tried not to smile too big. Now, you have to remember that when you are eight some words are not in the vocabulary — particularly as far as writing them goes — and our values of gratitude may be a little different. But, the way I look at it gratitude is gratitude and we all have to start somewhere.
I was quite surprised at how clever the young one had been. She takes ballet lessons and piano lessons. She had not quite discerned how to express her love for ballet and her gratitude for those lessons, so she had cut out a picture of a little ballet dancer in a tutu and pasted it on the page. Thank goodness for Elmer’s glue!
There was no picture of a piano so I asked about it — ready to suggest that I could help her find a picture. She stopped me in my tracks.
With attitude Judy announced, “This is my journal. I put what I like in it.”
Well, she’s right. It is her journal and apparently she isn’t too fond of the piano lessons. I let that idea drop.
Judy and I began a little conversation. I learned that Judy was upset because she wasn’t thankful for anything yesterday. Well, I do suppose we all have days like that. I tried to cajole her into thinking of something. But, the only response was that she didn’t like anything and couldn’t “tell the truth” if she wrote anything yesterday.
I have had those days. Anyway, I suggested that she leave the page blank and come back to visit today. Well, this morning Judy’s mom called to tell me that Judy wanted to talk to me before she headed off to school.
“Can I put grits in my journal?”
Well, any southerner worth his — or her— salt should put grits in the gratitude journal somewhere. I told her that was good thing. At least she is thinking positively.
