A holiday menu that includes reading and talking makes for a memorable feast

Reading and talking with children about what matters is a habit parents want to nurture and putting those conversations on a holiday menu is an opportunity not to be missed. The conversation can take many forms, the usual being a list of what, in our lives, we are thankful.  The conversation can also take a less conventional route of noting those aspects of our lives that don’t go as smooth as we would hope, best captured in the poem: Be Thankful, Author Unknown, posted November 23,2009 in Musings. I continue to think about the ideas found in that poem—


Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire…
be thankful for the difficult times…Be thankful for your mistakes…It’s easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who 
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Take Time For 8 Matters of the Heart by Ed Young is my holiday thought for this year. It is less a list of what I am thankful for and more an ode to what constitutes a meaningful life.


Take time for reposeit is the germ of creation.
Take time to readit is the source of wisdom
Take time to thinkit is the source of strength
Take time to workit is the path or patience and success
Take time to playit is the secret of youth and constancy
Take time to be cheerfulit is the appreciation of life that brings happiness
Take time to shareit is in fellowship and sound relationships one finds meaning
Take time to rejoicefor joy is the music of the soul