According to legend, a young man roaming the desert came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet, he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher.
After a four-day journey, he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly, and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.
Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the long journey in the old leather container. The student challenged his teacher: “Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it?”
The teacher replied, “You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of loving kindness, and nothing could be sweeter. Heartfelt gifts deserve the return gift of gratitude.”
We understand this lesson best when we receive innocent gifts of love from young children. Whether it’s a ceramic tray or a macaroni bracelet, the natural and proper response is appreciation and expressed thankfulness because we love the idea within the gift.
Gratitude doesn’t always come naturally. Unfortunately, most children and many adults value only the thing given rather than the feeling embodied in it. We should remind ourselves and teach our children about the beauty and purity of feelings and expressions of gratitude. After all, gifts from the heart are really gifts of the heart.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
© 2009 Josephson Institute of Ethics. Josephson, one of the nation’s leading ethicists, is the founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the premier youth character education program, CHARACTER COUNTS! For further information visit www.charactercounts.org
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Nature doesn’t hurry yet everything is accomplished – Lao Tzu
The Light 
The right gift makes one feel
that heart and soul have nexus,
and I agree, but let’s be real,
I won’t turn down a Lexus.
I used to gift my dear old friends
with home-embroidered hankies,
but that practice met its end
among sarcastic “Thank’ye’s.”
Some designs were tame and staid
and some were real humdingers,
and I think the best I made
was an upraised middle finger.
But now I do not work that hard:
“Here’s your Walmart gift card.”
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Welcome to the discussion. How’s Barb?
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Some people have not learned that it’s the thought that really counts. If I see a small child opening up a gift, I receive a feeling of joy from this. The expression on their face is priceless. In this scenario, the old adage of it’s better to give than receive is true.
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Always worth a thank you. From the heart to the heart.
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