\u201cI made it for you!\u201d my little three-year-old friend says shyly. Delighted, I stoop down to her level, and we take time to examine the precious gift, a string with a seashell on it. I ask her questions about it, and then, looking into her eyes, I thank her. She wraps her little arms around my neck, eyes sparkling, as if thanking me in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What an inner threshold she\u2019s crossed! She\u2019s taken the step from receiving the whole world as a gift, to consciously participating in the world, by offering it a gift of her own creation. But her act of giving wasn\u2019t complete without my response, and it caused me to wonder: how often do we forget, not the joy of giving, but of receiving? How often do we experience genuine gratefulness? Do we take time to notice and appreciate the gifts the world gives us? And perhaps, the giver? To whom do we give thanks for the song of birds, for good food, for rain and sunshine?<\/p>\n\n\n\n