grace

My first job out of college was teaching at a private primary school. One school tradition was that every day after lunch, all of the children would sing a short grace of thanksgiving, often in rounds. It only took a minute or two, but it settled them down for the afternoon and was always completely wonderful. My family is not religious, but since then we almost always use one of the graces I learned there at the end of holiday meals.

I.
We give thanks and celebration for this food that we may share,
and we seek a world where hunger is not present anywhere.

II.
We love our bread and we love our butter,
But most of all we love each other.

III.
Oh, the Lord is good to me
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me
The things I need
The wind and the rain and the apple seed—
The Lord is good to me.
Ah-men!

The last one was my favorite. Happy Thanksgiving.

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Originally posted 11/2009; re-posted 11/2013.