Gratitude: A Gift for Dad

Along with many others, the Litt family suffered lean times during the Great Depression. In order to keep food on the table, Mr. Litt opened a charge account with the neighborhood grocer. Having an unpaid grocery bill pained and worried the proud father.

When she turned sixteen, Kathryn Litt went to work at the five and dime store to help with family expenses. And out of admiration for the many sacrifices he had made, she also wanted to give her dad a great birthday present, something he hadn’t received in several years.

After receiving her first paycheck, she burst through the front door in excitement and handed her father a carefully wrapped present. He couldn’t hide his tears when he found inside a neat stack of receipts from the grocery store, all marked “paid in full.”

LESSON: Show gratitude during times of trouble because  it’s tempting to draw inward in fearful selfishness. But when we react to difficulties with unselfish acts, we make life beautiful for ourselves and for others, even in the worst of times.