Can gratitude be found in everyday moments?

As said by the great poet and mystic, there are a thousand different ways to kneel and kiss the ground, there is no prerequisite for prayer. Each moment presents an opportunity for gratitude and a doorway into understanding the energy and flow of the universe. And in turn ourselves. 

Growing up, my family said grace before a meal. We would hold hands and say a few words of thanks. My father would say a prayer or we would read from a book of poems. It was something to mark the moment sacred, and to embrace and radiate gratitude. 

Whether it was my mother, father, and sister or a larger gathering of aunties, uncles, grandparents, friends, and cousins, we’d form a circle of hands and pause – Gracing each other, the food made, and the time together.

As a young girl I was shy about saying grace in public. When dining out my parents still made it a priority. I distinctly remember an experience when I was around eleven where my family was out to dinner and we had just finished with grace and were beginning to eat. Someone in the restaurant came over to our table. “How special that you just did that”, he said and walked away. It happened quickly. He simply witnessed and acknowledged the moment and went on his way. 

It made an impression. Prayer is a liminal moment between a precious intimate moment within a public space. It is not something to hide. 

In fact, I believe that people long to come together and give thanks. It is inherent within our nature. Now in retrospect, I appreciate how my mother, father, and entire family always took the time, no matter what. They valued the importance of that moment and of grace.

Fast forward thirty years and here I am, continuing the practice of prayer. Often multiple times a day. I find grace to be the simplest gesture that we can share with ourselves and with each other. I’ll find myself smiling as I repeat history, holding hands now with my family. 

I love these moments. There is a force that comes and is present. Call it spirit, God, or love, I call it God and Love. It is profound, and grace is what calls it forth.

Whether it is just me alone or whether I am with 20 people, holding hands and gracing the moment with words is a powerful practice. It reminds us to pause, recognizing what we have and that we are deeply interconnected.

If you’re shy about it, don’t be.

If you’re confused about what to say, don’t be.

If you’re in a rush, don’t be.

If you think people are looking, they probably are, yet I am sure they are just curious; let them be.

It’s a time to be present, sure, grateful, and slow.

You’ll not only remind others what our natural instincts are but perhaps inspire others also.

I can say this because I was all those things. But now gracing community, experience, and food are important. It’s too special not to pause. At you next meal, take a moment, for that is all it takes.

Here is what I say, even if it is just quietly in my head.

I thank and bless this moment and the food before me.

May it fill me up and nourish my body.

I Thank and bless the plants and animals; the life which continues to give me life.

For the hands that gathered, the sun and rain that fed the soil, and the hearts that cooked

I am truly grateful.

What are your words of grace today?