Giving thanks...

The Lord has said, "The meek shall inherit the earth." (See Matt. 5:5.)

I cannot escape the interpretation that meekness implies a spirit of gratitude

as opposed to an attitude of self-sufficiency,

an acknowledgment of a greater power beyond oneself,

a recognition of God and an acceptance of his commandments.

This is the beginning of wisdom.

--Gordon B. Hinckley

You might detect a pattern in these last few posts. Tonight, and every day and night, I am grateful for my little Nathan.

Nathan lives life with enthusiasm and gusto. Anything he does, he does it with incredible energy. Maybe it's because it's late, or maybe it's because my vocabulary is limited, but I'm going to stick with the word "gusto." Actually, I changed my mind. I'm going with "enthusiasm." Nathan plays with wild enthusiasm. Nathan cleans (when he cleans) with enthusiasm. Nathan eats and drinks with enthusiasm. Nathan completes his schoolwork with enthusiasm. He is determined to learn to read very well, and he reads with incredible enthusiasm. In retrospect, maybe "gusto" was the better word. It certainly would have been easier to type over and over.

Nathan is my little friend. I often talk about how he makes me laugh and how he keeps me on my toes. But the endearing thing about Nathan is that he is sweet and loving. He's seven now, but I still get more hugs from him than anyone else. Right now, we live with my parents, and every time Grandma walks through the room, he--I was going to say he greets her with a hug, but I think that's not quite accurate. He attacks her with a running hug. Nathan hugs with enthusiasm. Or is it gusto? Nathan is learning to be a peacemaker and he is very aware of others' feelings. He's a tender-hearted little monkey.

I am so, so grateful for Nathan.