Miki Dedijer

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Gratitude

Where the sun rises

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There’s a spruce-covered ridge by our farm, and for much of winter, the sun doesn’t clamber high enough to crest it.

Then come February, and one morning, suddenly, there it is. As a family it always surprises us, and delights us to witness its return, the warm herald of early spring.

Where does the sun rise in relation to your home? Does your child know? Do you?

A child’s familiarity with the sun’s cycles orients her to the rhythms of the natural world. The sweep of a day, or the turn of the year, all foretold by where the sun appears, or descends, on the horizon.

A practiced awareness of the sun’s movements also develops your child’s spatial perceptions, and with time also her sense of affection and appreciation for the blessing of each day.

Beauty as gratitude

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Beauty is made before it’s perceived.

It’s decorating the dinner table with a crown of fall leaves. Singing by a fire. Hand painting a dead tree. Speaking a kind word to a stranger, Carving little jewels from elderflower branches. Gathering moss in the shape of a mandala. Dancing to the beat of a brooding storm. Cooking a plate of wild mushrooms on buttered buns. Lighting a smoke free fire. Playing music with icecicles.

Living so you leave a beautiful track is a skill, a practice, a craft. It’s a learned thing, a dedication to tending relationships.

Your child can become a master of beautification. She likely has a knack for it too, whatever her passions. Children often do.

Making beauty is a way for your child to celebrate creation, decorating the world with the delightful trail of her imagination.

Beauty is gratitude manifest. It’s giving back in celebration of what is received.

What if your child doesn’t say thank you?

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A friend came to stay with us and brought gifts for our children–two really cool, powerful flashlights.

The boys loved them, but they didn’t say thank you. They rarely do, and that’s ok for us, but sometimes it rankles people.

This is all our fault; we’ve never told them to say thank you when receiving a gift.

We teach them the importance of generosity though, of giving freely from their hearts without expecting anything in return, not even a thank you.