Day 8 - The Magic Ingredient

Thank you for the food
I am about to eat.

Thank You for the Food We are About to Eat.

"A thankful heart hath a continual feast." 

 W.J. Cameron  (1879-1953), 

Journalist and Businessman.

Rhonda says, " If you think about a time when you were really hungry you will remember that you could not think or function normally, your body felt weak, you might have started to tremble, your mind became confused, and your feelings plummeted. All of this can happen after not eating just a few hours! You need food to live, to think and to feel good, and so there is a great deal to be grateful for about food."

I know I can get pretty cranky when I'm hungry. When I see my granddaughters getting grumpy I check the time to see how long it has been since they last ate and most times it is because they are needing a snack or meal. Or they are tired.

Gratitude for Food

Today's assignment is to be grateful for everything I eat or drink. I must take a moment to look at my meal and say the magic word, thank you either in my mind or out loud.

This is a simple enough assignment right? I am grateful but I admit I do not say the magic word. Remembering to pause to say this will be hard but a good routine to follow.

I was saying to Cole we should start saying thankful before we eat supper. Many families say grace before eating. By the way I am also grateful that our family eats supper most nights together. 

We could just say thank you for the food we are about to eat but I think it would be nice to say some sort of prayer, a rhyme of gratitude. Here is an example of a child's meal time prayer:

Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything.

This is a simple but wonderful prayer to show our gratitude for the food we are about to eat. You can take the word God out and replace it with a word that suits you best.

I am grateful for food and drinks because there have been several times in my life when food and water were not readily available. There have been times when Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard and found it bare.

I have had to rely on the food bank, generous friends and family to put food in the bellies of my family. I know what it is like to look in the refrigerator and only find condiments and bare shelves.

I also know how it feels to be denied food. When I was a teenager, my Mom's boyfriend kept track of the food and complained about us kids eating. When he caught us opening the refrigerator or looking in the cupboards, when my Mom wasn't around, he would get so pissed off and yell at us. Of course we quickly figured out it was best to just stay clear of the food.

At this time I would also like to thank my Mom because she was and still is generous by bringing in food she sees on sale that we  like to eat. Just two days ago she brought two boxes of Alphabets because she knows her Great Grand Daughters love to eat them. And they were on sale for two dollars a box! Great savings. Thank you Mom I love you so much.

Gratitude Stone

I am most grateful to Nicole and Nick for taking Faith with them to the Drive-In to see the newest Ice Age movie.  

The Mustang Drive-In, Guelph Ontario

My car can't be driven at night because it doesn't have dash lights or tail lights so the drive-in is not possible. 

I was afraid Faith would be left out. I wouldn't want her to miss this wonderful experience. She was excited about sitting in the car and watching a movie. I love watching her when she is excited. Her exuberance is contagious. I am so grateful that she was able to go to the drive-in.Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

Gratitude Journal

I Am Grateful: (Day 8)

1. To be able to run down to the grocery store to pick up some food because I know what it like to not have that option.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
2. That my Mom took out all three of her Great Grand Babies to the park to play in the sprinklers because I am always delighted when my girls are doing fun things and getting out to explore the wonderful world.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
3. For Nick who prepared supper for us because I like to eat but I hate cooking.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
4. To my family for all sitting together to share a meal because it feels so nice to have us all together at least once a day.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
5. For the deck in the back yard because we sit out there to eat while enjoying the beautiful weather.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
6. That I was able to see my youngest Granddaughter, Lexi because I don't see her nearly often enough as I would like.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
7. I was able to see my oldest Daughter, Beth because I don't see her nearly often enough as I would like.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.   
8. For Gary because he helped me with Faith today.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
9. For Gary understanding my need to accomplish things around the house because I find it so frustrating when he ignores me.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
10. For another day at home away from work because I love being here, keeping the house in order and spending time with my family.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  

Are you wondering how I did at remembering to say thank you at meal time? I am curious about how you did.

Okay I failed the challenge. I did not remember once to say thank you. I was grateful but I did not say the magic words.

I will definitely keep working at it.

Will you say thank you and feel the gratitude for all your food and beverages tomorrow? I hope you do better than me. Give it try and let me know how it goes.

Please leave your comments. I really really want to hear from you. I would be very grateful, I promise.


Tomorrow is Day 9: The Money Magnet

Or if you are new you may like to start at the beginning, The Road to Inner Peace and Happiness.