Thankful Prayer

When the kids were small, I thought it was important for them to take a moment before dinner and say a prayer. I was familiar with the traditional Catholic prayer said before meals:

Bless us, Oh Lord,
and these thy gifts which
we are about to receive from thy bounty,
through Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.

However, as nice as this prayer is, it always struck me as a prayer being said, because that is what you are suppose to say before you eat, and little thought was given as the prayer was recited. I wanted the kids to identify with the words they would say, and understand prayer is also a time to take a moment to reflect and be thankful. I searched for awhile, for the prayer I thought was an easy one to remember, and had meaning to children. The prayer I found is:

Thanks for food that helps us grow,
For family and friends we know.
Thanks for all the world we see.
Thank you God, for loving me.

I am unsure sure who to credit the prayer to, as I have done multiple Internet searches and have been unable to find the prayer on line. Someday I will find the piece of paper where I wrote the prayer down, and give credit where credit is due. However, for some reason, I thought it was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

As the kids have grown, this is the prayer we always say when we sit down to dinner. Although, it is sometimes difficult to always eat as a family because of activities, when we do sit down together and hold hands while saying our prayer, it is comforting to know my children are thankful.