Saying grace at mealtime was a tradition at Grandma's house. At breakfast, lunch and supper, all who gathered around the table would bow their heads to give blessing for the food they were about to eat.

Much to Grandma's sadness, this tradition was not brought to our home by my mother, so as a three-year-old, the practice of saying grace was very confusing to me.

Mother embarrassingly recalls that once, while Grandma rambled through one of her lengthy mealtime thanks to God, I asked in a rather loud voice, "Why is Grandma talking to her plate?"

by Glen DeVuono
from A Cup of Chicken Soup for the Soul
Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor