Children say and do some of the funniest things!  An acting friend of mine always notes, “Never take the stage with children or animals; you (and your character) will never have the lead.”

While going through another stack of school memorabilia recently, a most enlightening witty piece we entitled Simple Truths caught my eye.  This special letter of gratefulness was written by my classroom learners at the time and contained a list of ten things they were grateful to have learned about life so far:

10. The best place to be when you are sad is in Granny’s lap.
9. Don’t try to use the vacuum cleaner and the cat at the same time.
8. You can’t hide a piece of broccoli (or anything) in a glass of milk.
7. Puppies and kitties still have bad breath even after eating a mint.
6. Absolutely don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
5. You can’t trust dogs to watch your food while you go to the bathroom.
4. Never ask your little brother to hold a tomato.
3. If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person.
2. When your mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
and then…
1. No matter how hard you try, you just can’t baptize the cat.

My students and I shared this piece with our parents that November as part of our focus on gratefulness.  To say we garnered some chuckles and responses is an understatement.  It gratefully opened the door to deep conversation about being observers and active listeners in life–noticing those interesting little things popping into your world out of nowhere in particular.

So on Day #30:  When and how do you take opportunities to gratefully observe your simple truths? 

I am beyond grateful for the many decades I was truly privileged to be a part of these profound observations and discussions on a daily basis!  Here’s hoping you take time to enJOY and appreciate the simple truths around you too!