Would you describe yourself as a thankful person? I think that is a quality in which I come up lacking. I have often thought about how I might grow in gratefulness and today, I thought about how tasting could help.
Most of our meals when our kids were at home began with a prayer of thanksgiving. As is probably true in your house, those prayers weren't all that heart-felt. Just the same, I thought about what a simple, consistent rhythm mealtime provides to cultivate a more grateful, appreciative heart.
So, this morning, when I ate my plain yogurt with honey, blueberries and almonds, I tasted them slowly and allowed each of their unique flavors to inspire prayers of thanksgiving. Here's how it went:
- Yogurt....thanks for cows, for creating them to produce milk that we can turn into yummy things like yogurt and ice cream. Thanks for the tart flavor of yogurt, for the creamy texture.
- Honey....thanks for the honey bees. Isn't it cool that you created bees to make honey. It's so deliciously sweet, swirling in my tangy yogurt.
- Almonds.... I love almonds. And they are so good for me. Thanks for nuts, that they have protein so if I decide to become a vegetarian, I can still get enough.
- Blueberries....I bet these are from Maine. Thanks for Bob and Judy, our friends who live in Maine. Thanks for the people who picked the blueberries and harvested them. Blueberries are the best!
I know it may seem silly, but what pleased me is how natural it was to be thankful--to think of things to be thankful for. By slowing down and really tasting, all kinds of thankfulness sprung up within me. Maybe there is hope for me, yet. If I remember not to rush and enjoy what I'm tasting, I think I just might have a chance. (I didn't do so well at lunch!)
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