Simple Blessings of Life

Subscribe to Grand Connection by Email

Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought
by Mary May Larmoyeux

“If the stars came out only once a year, everyone would stay up all night just to watch,” said poet Ralph Waldo Emerson.

René Haub referred to Emerson's quote in her article A Hundred-Dollar Word. "We tend to ignore the things that are always present or available to us (health, financial comfort, easy access to life’s 'necessities')," she said, "and take those things for granted, even if they are wonderful things."

I think René is right. What if we only felt the soft touch of a child's face ... or smelled chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven ... or saw a bird soar into the trees, once a year? What if we could only hear ... or see ... or taste, once a year?

Just thinking about this makes me very thankful!

How can we encourage thankfulness in our grandkids? We could play "what if" with them. Perhaps we could read them Emerson's quote about the stars and then recite or list together the simple, everyday blessings of life—ones we often take for granted. We could do this in person, on the phone, or even by e-mail.

If grandkids will be at our homes in the evening during Thanksgiving week, we could bundle up, go outside, and peer together into a star-filled night. We could recite not only Emerson's quote about stars, but also verses such as Psalm 147:4: "He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name."

May we be grandparents whose lives overflow with thankfulness ... every day.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Mary

co-author of The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect With Your Grandchild's Heart

www.marymaywrites.com/

© 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux.
Photo © US National Ocean & Atmospheric Administration

Blessings

Subscribe to Grand Connection by Email

Friday's Grand Connection Fun
by Mary May Larmoyeux

Some of our grandkids presented me with a precious certificate on Mother's Day. One of our granddaughters said that I had helped her count her blessings. Actually, I had to think about that for a minute. When did I do that?

Then I remembered some times when our grandkids haven't been able to sleep at night. We'd count blessings until they drifted into slumberland. I guess that was etched on their hearts more than I realized.

Once I made Pops a "blessing book," with pictures and notes about why I am blessed to have him for my hubby. (Thanks, Suzanne, for this idea!) We could make a  "blessing book" for our grandkids. It could be a special gift on a 13th or 18th birthday.

I want to be more proactive in thanking God for the blessings that He showers on our family. Psalm 51:12 says, "For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield."

How have you helped your grandchildren count their blessings? Do you have any suggestions about how our lives could be marked with grateful hearts?

Have a great weekend,
Mary
Mary May Larmoyeux
http://www.marymaywrites.com/
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com/

© Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.