Our girls have been asking for a blessing before dinner, especially since our visit to Seattle a couple of weeks ago where we discovered my in-laws singing the same lyrical little grace I sang at summer camp, back in the day.
So I found what I thought was the perfect answer to their wishes —
a little rhyme by Ralph Waldo Emerson that goes like this:
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
That pretty much covers the bases, I think.
Plus, it rhymes so it’s easy to memorize.
And it’s short so nobody’ll get hungry waiting.
But here’s the thing.
As we recited it tonight — a few times to get it good & sticky in our brains — I heard my small one carefully substituting phrases from my next picture book.
(Which is in rhyme, coincidentally, so is easy to memorize.
And is short, so nobody’s going hungry while waiting.)
Her sister and dad heard her, too.
And before long it had been decided —
Ralph Waldo out (beloved though you may be), Mama in (biased though they may be).
I feel a little funny being the pen behind our dinnertime blessing but it made everyone else kind of blushy-happy, so I’m going along with it for now. Until someone decides we oughta switch to the old ditty ’bout the appleseed…
Well, now. I think your girls are on to something. And the rest of us just have to wait, and wait, and wait for our chance to read and speak and offer up your blessing. But we’ll be patient…
You’re sweet, Sara. But remember, too, that this is my family I’m talking about here so there’s just a hint of nepotism in their selection 🙂
Fantastic! Hearing your own words song by your family. That’s gotta rock.
It was a pretty sweet moment, I gotta say..
Small one knows best!
Often, it’s true.
I think your small one knew what she was doing.
Daughter knows best, don’t ya know. 🙂 But then look at the lovely examples you set for her day-to-day.
Blush.
Thank you, Susan…
So let’s hear the new version, Lizzy! ^_^
Jen
Can’t say right now, but the phrase All the World (the title)is in there, which is pretty, ummm, comprehensive.
I love the Johnny Appleseed blessing, too. We usually did a short-form rote grace if we did a communal blessing, although I can’t seem to find my way into it this morning. But using words from your pb sounds pretty darn perfect to me.
When your little grace pops back into your head, Kelly, will you share it with me?
I remembered
Here ’tis:
God is great, God is good
and we thank him for our food.
By his hands we all are our fed,
we thank him for our daily bread.
Amen.
Re: I remembered
That rings an old familiar bell, to be sure…
Re: I remembered
That rings an old familiar bell, to be sure…
If that isn’t the sweetest blessing! And teaser! Give us a little something…anything?
Your girls rock.
So, the title — All the World — is in there and so are the words hope and love, which is why they served it up as a blessing, I guess. It’s about connection. The whole book is, really…
You are sweet to ask and, you know that YOUR girls rock, too 🙂