Bringing Back the Bean Bowl

It all began with a chapter. 

The chapter was in a book called Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World. The chapter in life was “keeping little humans alive in a single-parenting world.”

That was a bittersweet chapter, full of adventurous highs and lows, tremendous growth, and incredible characters of heroes and heroines. Several such characters made up a small group of young moms being encouraged by wise mentors. This book was just one of the many we walked through together. 

At some point, the author shares an example of how she instills gratitude in her family. One night each week, they eat rice and black beans for dinner. It sounds pretty simple because it is. And that’s the point. In many parts of the world, rice and beans are on the menu every day. And that one bowl is their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

So, as a lover of simplicity, who desires to raise grateful kids, I decided to give it a go with my two preschoolers and their grandparents, with whom we lived. 

It was an instant hit. I added a little homemade salsa and avocado. We are from Texas, after all. And the kids looked forward to this weekly gratitude tradition for several years, even carrying it into our new family when I remarried.

Somewhere along the line, however, rice and beans night ceased. So, when a memory was sparked a couple of months ago, the kids enthusiastically agreed that these bowls of gratitude should make a comeback. In addition to the simple meal, we now use this time as a reminder to intentionally and specifically pray for the girl we sponsor through Compassion International, who lives in Indonesia. 

It’s interesting how we tend to crave more simplicity in this increasingly complex world…

How the smallest of things can produce a big attitude of gratitude…

How peace and contentment have nothing to do with external factors, but really do come from within.

Turns out, it’s true. Beans, beans, they really are good for your heart. (Insert smirk, wink, or eye roll emoji here.)

And this mom is grateful.

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