The Secret of Saying Thanks

Last updated on: October 1, 2014 at 7:42 am by Molly Khan

The Secret of Saying Thanks 2014-09-30T13:11:47-04:00 Molly Khan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to have a little classroom at the local Unitarian Universalist church, filled with little ones learning a lesson on thankfulness. The kids are always fun, and I’ve discovered many gems since exploring the UU curriculum. This week, I found The Secret of Saying Thanks by Douglas Wood.

It’s an absolutely gorgeous book, with soft and beautiful illustrations, but what really struck me was the message, and how well it fit into a Pagan or Heathen worldview. Usually books on thankfulness focus on God or the creator, and give thanks to him for a beautiful world – but in this book, the little girl gives thanks to the world itself! Stopping for a rest, she sits on a rock and says “Thank you rock for standing still and not changing in a world so full of noise and speed and change.” What a wonderful sentiment, and a fantastic lesson to teach our children, especially those of us who work in more animistic traditions. As the girl walks along, she thanks each thing she sees for its beauty or its intrinsic value; and then at the end reveals “The more we say thanks, the more we find to be thankful for. And the more we find to be thankful for, the happier we become.” For me, even more so than holidays or goddesses, this is what our children will benefit from learning.

Previous Post

September 30, 2014

September Link Round-Up: Back to school, autumn equinox, and sacred abundance

Next Post

October 6, 2014 5 ways to keep the family story alive so kids can thrive

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion Adoption birth Birth Guardians birth stories breastfeeding Contraception divorce Flash Points From the Editor's Desk grandparenting home infertility marriage menstruation Miscarriage Pagan Families Parenting poetry postpartum pregnancy review ritual sex education Uncategorized Wednesday Wisdom

Select a Month September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

Select your answer to see how you score.

Peter John the Baptist Nathanael Pilate