Christian Salvation Service>Gratitude Grows Best Without Being Asked

As parents, we sometimes hope our children will grow up grateful and appreciative of what they have. We especially see it in a reunion. When birth families often express deep appreciation to the adoptive parents, in such moments, it's common for birth families to tell the child, “Be grateful to your adoptive parents.”

I remember one reunion in particular. The adoptee's birth family encouraged him to be thankful for all he had received. His adoptive parents gently replied to both the child and the birth family:

“He doesn't need to be grateful to us. We just want him to be himself. We simply enjoy being together as a family.”

This genuine response touched the birth family. It also became an important lesson for us.
Sometimes, when gratitude is not demanded but simply modeled through love, children learn to be truly appreciative on their own. We are thankful to these adoptive parents for showing us that the most fruitful lessons often grow quietly, through unconditional love.

Images sourced from the internet, with sincere thanks and acknowledgment.

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