A Little Story About Gratitude

A wise old woman lives contentedly in her little hut. One day, the children of the village come to her. They stand shyly at the garden fence. The woman, who of course has long since noticed the excited whispering, waits patiently until one of the children dares to speak to her.

„The people in the village say that you are rich,“ says the child. „Then why do you live in this little hut and not in a big castle?“ The old woman looks thoughtfully at the children. „Do people say that? Well, they don’t mean that I have a lot of money. I enjoy life a lot – and that’s why I’m rich.“

No money and still rich? How was that to be understood? The children look astonished. „Shall I tell you my secret?“ asks the woman. The children nod expectantly. Of course, they want to know the secret! The woman reaches into the left pocket of her vest and takes out a handful of beans.

„This is the secret of my happiness and my wealth:

Every day when I get up, I put a handful of beans in my left pocket. And every time I like something and it touches my heart, I take a bean and put it in my right pocket. For example, when I am happy about how beautifully the roses are blooming in my garden – a bean in my right pocket. When a bird sings – a bean. When someone greets me kindly or when the sun warms my skin – another bean. In the evening, I take all the beans of that day out of my right pocket. I remember how many good and beautiful things I experienced that day and say „thank you“ to God for it. Gratitude makes me rich! … Wait a moment! I’ll get something for you…“

The children look after the old woman in silence and amazement as she disappears into the house. Gratitude makes her rich?! The woman appears at the front door again with a basket full of beans. She holds out the basket to each child, and each puts a handful of beans in their left trouser pocket. 

And what does the woman do when the children march off happily a short time later? She takes not just one bean, but two, from the left pocket and puts them in the right one.

This story is meant to illustrate the value of the little good things in life and that they should be appreciated. Make a beautiful entry as often as possible and look back with a warm heart 😉

Welcome to BlissBeans – your new Happiness Journal!