Having a grateful heart

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(this was originally posted March 2008)

My Dad told me a story the other day about his father, my grandpa. The day before he died my Dad was talking to him about some chickens he had just bought and my grandpa related this story: When he was a little boy a neighbor gave his family an old rooster to eat. His Mother didn’t really know how to cook it, so the neighbor told them to kill it and pluck it and they would help her cook it. So they did just that, and my grandpa on his death bed remembered how good that old, tough, stringy rooster tasted. His family was that hungry.

It is amazing to me that someone could be that hungry. I know it happens, my brain knows that people starve to death all the time, but it is so far removed from my little world that I give it no more than a passing thought. For some reason this story really stuck me.


A few days later my two oldest were complaining ”this is the worse day of my life!” The reason it was the worse day? They had to do dishes. I know! Poor abused kids! The story of my hungry grandpa jumped into my head, and I couldn’t help but look at my kids and realize what pampered little turkeys they were. Seriously! It was Monday and I let them all stay home from school (which never happens at my house, usually they have to be coughing up blood to stay home) we did a few house keeping things then we went on a picnic, a girly picnic, with a pretty table cloth and a whole bunch of dainty little treats! Then they got to play outside in the warm sunshine for the rest of the day. They had a good hearty meal, which they didn’t have to kill or gather in order to eat; they didn’t even have a part in the preparation! Then when it comes time to do dishes, there is crying and whining “it is the worse day of my life!”

I was mad
Oh so very mad
I told them the story of their great-grandpa and pointed out that they have never been hungry a day in their pretty pampered little lives. How dare they complain about their lives being so hard when they have food, clothing and shelter; a mom and dad who are here and take care of them; they are not beaten, neglected, or emotionally battered! They don’t have to work for their food; they get to go to school, there are places in this world where it is illegal for girls to learn how to read! They are pampered, petted, princesses and they should be ashamed for acting like selfish little girls!
One of my girls stared crying and the other silently started to do her dishes.

How do we teach our children in this world of instant everything to be grateful, to value the things we have? In a place where if we are hungry it is just a short drive to the grocery store, and if we are feeling particularly lazy, food can be brought to our door! Instead of it taking a season of work to produce a meal, it takes a plastic credit card and all sorts of good things are at our finger tips. How do we teach them in a world where our homes a built for us, our clothes made for us, heat comes not from chopping wood, but flipping a switch on the wall. Even our entertainment is easy, just turn on a TV or computer, no effort, no thinking, no sacrifice.

10 thoughts on “Having a grateful heart”

  1. Okay, I don’t know what’s up with the comment above, but when you click on the link it takes you to a wonkey anti-virus page. What the?!

    Anyway, I totally agree with you! This is something we are struggling with too. “This is the worst day of my life” is something I hear so regularly it makes me a little crazy. I also remind them about hardships their ancestors have gone through and it does seem to quiet them down for a while. Too bad it’s not permanent.

  3. Dad has related the same story to me, and to me the biggest thing is how emotional grandpa was when he told the story. I don’t know about you, but grandpa Johnson never got emotional around me. What an amazing world that we are blessed with.

  4. Thank you for the reality check! We’ve since given up the cable tv, and done without a lot! I must say it is humbling to think of our ancestors, and even what our parents did with out! Thanks for sharing and inspiring!

    Loves!

  5. This is an amazing post, and so true. My father always said that if we were really hungry we would eat what was on our plates and not complain — and he was right.

    Kate

  6. So well said! I think this is one of the hardest lessons to teach (and to learn)…to appreciate what we have (not whine for what we want)! It’s so easy to take for granted all the comforts in life!

  7. Oh boy! We do need a reality check sometime. I even need it…we get so used to having it so good that when the tiniest thing is hard we feel picked on! A hard…but very important lesson to learn! Thanks.

  8. I'm just going through your archives and this post is getting to me – in a very good way. Lots to think about.

  9. WOW grumpy much? You much be pregnant!!!!!! The kids said something that we all say. Yes we should be happy all the time and grateful for everything we have. But come on seriously for you to get this upset over it is crazy. Lighten up mom, seriously your hormones are talking.

  10. Thank you Anony (afraid to leave your real name I see). If you had read the top of the post you will see I wrote this THREE years ago, I was very much not pregnant. I don't let pregnancy hormons dictate my reactions to people, especially my children. Hormons (pregnancy or otherwise) might make someone more irritable, but I have control over how I react to people.

    They were being ungrateful and needed to be corrected, that is my job as their mother.