The Beauty of Gratitude

One of the sweet privileges of being a parent that I often experience is how much my children reveal to me about who I am, who I am supposed to be, and who the good God is. This morning, the lesson came during breakfast. I was making pancakes while Enriquito was eating his eggs and apple slices. For Enriquito bread of any kind (especially pancakes) is a special treat. He asked me if he could have some "pan" and I told him he could after he ate the rest of his food. Well, my little guy wasted no time, focused on the task at hand and finished up every last bit of his breakfast. As I had promised him, I brought him over his little pancake, he looked me in the eyes and with his whole genuine little heart said, "Gracias, Mami." And my heart melted. Why?..Because he meant it. I can't tell you how many times we have drilled "thank you's" and "pleases" into that little boy's head. And there have been many, many "thank you's" and "pleases" that come out his mouth, but this one was special...he meant this one. And in that moment, my son taught me the beauty of true gratitude, the beauty of a grateful heart. He also gave me a glimpse into how our Heavenly Father must feel when we His children are truly grateful as we ought to be. He taught me that I have a long way to go in the area of gratitude, and at the same time gave me an opportunity to be grateful..for him, for his sweetness and sincerity, but mostly to the good God, who has blessed me with a son who so often reminds me of God's goodness ... and for that, I am truly grateful.