Six-year old Sam learns about blessings
Sam called me last night and asked if she could come over after school on Friday to talk about a homework assignment. I have sliced some fresh fruit and some cheese for her after school snack. Of course I also have her favorite drink, milk.
I see her walking over from next door now.
Me: Hello Sam. How was school today?
Sam: It was fine Uncle Jim but I am glad it is Friday.
Me: Me too. I bet you are hungry. I have some fruit and cheese. Here, let me pour your milk. (I pour her a large glass of milk.)
Sam: Thanks, Uncle Jim. Yumm. This is good. I love pears and grapes.
Me: I know that you do. So what is this homework?
Sam: Here it is Uncle Jim.
I read:
“The Jewish have a tradition of saying 100 blessings. A woman filmmaker Tiffany Shlain, talks about this in an interview with Krista Tippett on the NPR program she hosts entitled “On Being”. One of the films Ms. Shlain made is called “A Science of Character”. “In this film she talks about the periodic table of 24 character strengths positive psychology has identified… (from the interview with Ms.Tibbett). Among those is humility.
Albert Einstein is reputed to have said: “I prefer an attitude of humility…(azquotes.com)
Ms. Shlain also talks about blessings and the Jewish tradition of listing or naming 100 blessings on a particular day.
What if we assume that a part of humility is the many gifts we are given. We do not understand why we are given certain gifts, but, for this assignment, let us focus on being grateful for all we are given. We will call these blessings.
I would like each of you, between now and Monday, to write down 100 blessings. Start by defining blessings.”
Me: Wow! That is a really a good assignment. You and I have often talked about the fact that you, Paul, your parents and I have much for which to be grateful.
Sam: 100 is a lot Uncle Jim.
Me: it does seem like a lot. For now let’s focus on the first part of the assignment. We need to define blessing.
Sam: I guess I have to get the dictionary.
Me: Yes, but I think first we need to watch our hands. My hands are sort of sticky from all the fruit!
Sam: Good idea Uncle Jim.
Me: Here is your stool so you can reach the faucet.
Sam: Thanks Uncle Jim.
We both wash and dry our hands.
Me: Okay. How about the dictionary Sam?
Sam: Here we are Uncle Jim. Let’s see – blessings?
Me: Close. Try blessing.
Sam: Okay uncle Jim. Here it is.
1. A prayer asking for divine favor and protection.
2. Grace said before a meal.
3. A beneficial thing for which one is grateful:
4. A person’s sanction or support
(Oxforddictionary.com)
Me: Well, it sounds like the teacher is talking about the third definition- A beneficial thing for which one is grateful.
Why do you think the teacher wants everyone in the class to do this?
Sam: In the film it talks about how we become a person … Oh I cannot think of how to say it.
Me: Perhaps how we become a person we can be proud of?
Sam: Yes. The teacher said that we sometimes do not think about how our behavior affects others.
Me: Ahh. So our character is about behavior. One of the behaviors which your teacher wants us to think about is whether we are complaining about what new toy we don’t have or whether we are grateful for what we do have.
Sam: Yes. Mrs. Williams said that when we are more positive we have different chemicals in the brain which makes us feel better. Do you think that is true, Uncle Jim?
Me: Yes, I think so Sam. In fact, Mrs. Shlain when she was talking to Mrs. Tippett reminded us:
“But yeah, dopamine — but the good news is that the — and dopamine, it’s also things that make you feel good, things that make you want more, like food… or there’s all of these things that you can’t be satiated with.
And then on the flipside, with oxytocin — this is what I love — oxytocin is the love hormone… Or it makes you feel trusting. And it makes you want to collaborate. And they’ve shown that when you get a text or an email from someone you love, or someone you feel connected to, you get a rush of oxytocin.” So when we are in a positive mood we feel better and others feels better. When we feel better we are more trusting and it is easier for us to work together. You know, Sam, how much easier it is when the whole family works together to clean the house for example.
Sam: It goes much faster and we laugh a lot. We have fun but we are getting it done.
Me: So is the family working together something which you are grateful for Sam? Could we call that a blessing?
Sam: Yes Uncle Jim.
Me: Does everyone have a family?
Sam: Not in the same house, Uncle Jim. Some of Yana’s family is in Syria and some of Ahmes family is in Egypt. In fact, Yana mother thinks that her mother may have been killed in the war. That is very sad Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes, it is. So when we remember to be grateful or to count our blessings we are more aware of how others might feel. Do you have other blessings Sam?
Sam: Remember the other day when you took Paul and I to Panera and we saw the man who carried all his things in a plastic bag. You told us he was homeless. He did not have a bed or a kitchen or a bathroom or anything. I got very sad.
Me: So you are grateful that you have a home, a bed, food, and clean clothes Sam?
Sam: Yes, Uncle Jim. I guess I do not always think of those as blessings Uncle Jim. I better write these down.
Me: Yes, let me get paper and a pen. Why don’t you you write these down – family, home, bed, clothes, food and then keep writing things down all day. We will get together sometime tomorrow to see how the list of blessings is coming. You can talk to your parents and Paul about what they think are blessings in their lives. How does that sound Sam?
Sam: Okay Uncle Jim. It still seem a long way from 100.
Me: Yes, but I bet that by tomorrow you have a lot more than 5.
Sam: Thanks Uncle Jim.
Me: You are welcome Sam. This makes me think about blessings also.
Written April 1, 2016
Sam called me last night and asked if she could come over after school on Friday to talk about a homework assignment. I have sliced some fresh fruit and some cheese for her after school snack. Of course I also have her favorite drink, milk.
I see her walking over from next door now.
Me: Hello Sam. How was school today?
Sam: It was fine Uncle Jim but I am glad it is Friday.
Me: Me too. I bet you are hungry. I have some fruit and cheese. Here, let me pour your milk. (I pour her a large glass of milk.)
Sam: Thanks, Uncle Jim. Yumm. This is good. I love pears and grapes.
Me: I know that you do. So what is this homework?
Sam: Here it is Uncle Jim.
I read:
“The Jewish have a tradition of saying 100 blessings. A woman filmmaker Tiffany Shlain, talks about this in an interview with Krista Tippett on the NPR program she hosts entitled “On Being”. One of the films Ms. Shlain made is called “A Science of Character”. “In this film she talks about the periodic table of 24 character strengths positive psychology has identified… (from the interview with Ms.Tibbett). Among those is humility.
Albert Einstein is reputed to have said: “I prefer an attitude of humility…(azquotes.com)
Ms. Shlain also talks about blessings and the Jewish tradition of listing or naming 100 blessings on a particular day.
What if we assume that a part of humility is the many gifts we are given. We do not understand why we are given certain gifts, but, for this assignment, let us focus on being grateful for all we are given. We will call these blessings.
I would like each of you, between now and Monday, to write down 100 blessings. Start by defining blessings.”
Me: Wow! That is a really a good assignment. You and I have often talked about the fact that you, Paul, your parents and I have much for which to be grateful.
Sam: 100 is a lot Uncle Jim.
Me: it does seem like a lot. For now let’s focus on the first part of the assignment. We need to define blessing.
Sam: I guess I have to get the dictionary.
Me: Yes, but I think first we need to watch our hands. My hands are sort of sticky from all the fruit!
Sam: Good idea Uncle Jim.
Me: Here is your stool so you can reach the faucet.
Sam: Thanks Uncle Jim.
We both wash and dry our hands.
Me: Okay. How about the dictionary Sam?
Sam: Here we are Uncle Jim. Let’s see – blessings?
Me: Close. Try blessing.
Sam: Okay uncle Jim. Here it is.
1. A prayer asking for divine favor and protection.
2. Grace said before a meal.
3. A beneficial thing for which one is grateful:
4. A person’s sanction or support
(Oxforddictionary.com)
Me: Well, it sounds like the teacher is talking about the third definition- A beneficial thing for which one is grateful.
Why do you think the teacher wants everyone in the class to do this?
Sam: In the film it talks about how we become a person … Oh I cannot think of how to say it.
Me: Perhaps how we become a person we can be proud of?
Sam: Yes. The teacher said that we sometimes do not think about how our behavior affects others.
Me: Ahh. So our character is about behavior. One of the behaviors which your teacher wants us to think about is whether we are complaining about what new toy we don’t have or whether we are grateful for what we do have.
Sam: Yes. Mrs. Williams said that when we are more positive we have different chemicals in the brain which makes us feel better. Do you think that is true, Uncle Jim?
Me: Yes, I think so Sam. In fact, Mrs. Shlain when she was talking to Mrs. Tippett reminded us:
“But yeah, dopamine — but the good news is that the — and dopamine, it’s also things that make you feel good, things that make you want more, like food… or there’s all of these things that you can’t be satiated with.
And then on the flipside, with oxytocin — this is what I love — oxytocin is the love hormone… Or it makes you feel trusting. And it makes you want to collaborate. And they’ve shown that when you get a text or an email from someone you love, or someone you feel connected to, you get a rush of oxytocin.” So when we are in a positive mood we feel better and others feels better. When we feel better we are more trusting and it is easier for us to work together. You know, Sam, how much easier it is when the whole family works together to clean the house for example.
Sam: It goes much faster and we laugh a lot. We have fun but we are getting it done.
Me: So is the family working together something which you are grateful for Sam? Could we call that a blessing?
Sam: Yes Uncle Jim.
Me: Does everyone have a family?
Sam: Not in the same house, Uncle Jim. Some of Yana’s family is in Syria and some of Ahmes family is in Egypt. In fact, Yana mother thinks that her mother may have been killed in the war. That is very sad Uncle Jim.
Me: Yes, it is. So when we remember to be grateful or to count our blessings we are more aware of how others might feel. Do you have other blessings Sam?
Sam: Remember the other day when you took Paul and I to Panera and we saw the man who carried all his things in a plastic bag. You told us he was homeless. He did not have a bed or a kitchen or a bathroom or anything. I got very sad.
Me: So you are grateful that you have a home, a bed, food, and clean clothes Sam?
Sam: Yes, Uncle Jim. I guess I do not always think of those as blessings Uncle Jim. I better write these down.
Me: Yes, let me get paper and a pen. Why don’t you you write these down – family, home, bed, clothes, food and then keep writing things down all day. We will get together sometime tomorrow to see how the list of blessings is coming. You can talk to your parents and Paul about what they think are blessings in their lives. How does that sound Sam?
Sam: Okay Uncle Jim. It still seem a long way from 100.
Me: Yes, but I bet that by tomorrow you have a lot more than 5.
Sam: Thanks Uncle Jim.
Me: You are welcome Sam. This makes me think about blessings also.
Written April 1, 2016
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