The Season of Receiving

A young child in the store today summed up the two greatest gifts of life in three short statements. I'm not sure what Mom's frustration was in that moment, but it was etched on her face, grinding a sharp edge into her voice, and infusing her body with tension. Her little daughter, seated in the shopping cart and facing her, was maybe 4 years old. Brow furrowed in earnestness and face aglow with that perfect and innocent trust found mostly in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, she looked up and said, "It's okay, Mommy. You're okay. I'm glad you're my mommy every day."

Just like that. Forgiveness. Gratitude. Love made manifest. Life redeemed. This four-year-old child created a miracle of grace in the cold, concrete, fluorescent aisle of a big box store.

And just like that, this little girl helped Mom hit her personal brakes and change direction. Mom parted with a sigh of release and smiled down at her daughter with such tenderness that it caught at my own breath. They hugged and had a whispered conversation. I walked on by this random moment of beauty, my heart swelling with love for the whole world.

Forgiveness and gratitude. We think of them, maybe as gifts we give, rather than gifts we receive. And both are true. I forgive others for pain they cause me, and I am grateful to others, consciously and almost every minute, for their many gifts in my life. And the giving of these twin gifts feels good to me. In fact, sometimes it feels a little too good and I get to thinking I'm something special because I have forgiveness in my heart, and because in my life I lead with gratitude.