Thankful for Ordinary Things

I have just learned about an important teaching moment.  I young mother of four daughters wanted her children to appreciate and learn gratitude for ordinary things that we all take for granted.  This is how she decided to do it.  Each night she presents one thing at the dinner table and then for that night and the next day they do without the particular thing.  She started with the gift of Light.  For dinner they dined by candlelight which the children loved.  One particularly active child began making silhouette animals from the shadow of the light but most were very attentive and caught the principle.  They played flashlight tag after dinner with flashlights.  At bedtime they read stories by the flashlights.  The mother said it was the most magical time with very quiet and peaceful children.  It went so well that she is now going to incorporate "stories by flashlight" into their regular bedtime routine.  Next she plans to teach about water.  They will only be using water brought in from the hose outside.  Can you just imagine the learning and the appreciation those children will have from this lesson?  In this month of gratitude I am so grateful for light and air and sun and heat and water. I don't ever want to be without any one of them!

For what are you grateful ?