just fifteen minutes.

So, I just had some things on my mind recently...Wanted to write them out in this little blog of a journal that I seem to not mind others reading. I desperately want everyone to understand the power of gratitude. It can be shown in a million ways but I want to focus on a very simple one a lot of us prove to show less gratitude for... Dinner. A lot of effort and time is put into a meal and we happily rush to the table to eat up a hot plate of food, but as soon as the meal is over we shove the plate to the sink and continue to our previous activity. This leaves whoever took the time to make the meal, back to an empty pile of dirty dishes to do for themselves. A "Thank you for dinner" is wonderful, but don't fool yourself. The only right way to show gratitude for the time you didn't help put into that meal is to drop what you were doing for fifteen minutes to help put away the dishes and the leftover foods. I know for me my heart drops every time I'm at our home dinner table and I see everyone rush away to leave Mom or Dad to do the dishes. I was never perfect and can't believe it took me until moving out to realize how much I hurt my parents in not doing such a simple deed. I will never take that opportunity for granted again and hope those who read this will gain a better understanding of showing gratitude for a dinner. Better yet, live "The Second Mile", not only help clean up- but start at the beginning and see what you can do to help make the meal. Life is too wonderful for anyone to pass up an opportunity to show your gratitude... Thank you Arianne for your dinner tonight, I bet it was wonderful! And Thank you Mom and Dad, for all the fantastic dinners you made me.