When the girls were little, as we did our bedtime routine, one of the last things I would say before I walked out of their room was, “What was the best part of your day?”
I started saying it as a way to distract them from the desire to stay awake. What kid doesn’t hate bedtime?! Most kids want to stay up late and keep playing. By asking them this simple question, it caused them to refocus on all that they had done that day and what they enjoyed the most.
After a while, I began to notice that I really enjoyed hearing what their favorite parts of their day was and then I would try to repeat those things the next day. It helped me learn a little more about my girls and what made them happy and it ended their day with a grateful heart.
With one simple question, they transformed their thoughts of unhappiness to an attitude of gratitude. Without even knowing it, (and quite frankly without me even knowing it) they were choosing to be grateful, no matter what the day brought.
How easy it would be to ask myself the same question when the negative thoughts come! To choose an attitude of gratitude instead of being consumed, and laying awake, reflecting on my day and what I could have done better.
My favorite verse is Phillipines 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord alway(s): and again I say, Rejoice.”
This verse has one keyword that we tend to ignore. “Always”. That means in everything, every moment, every second of every day. Not just when we feel good or when everything is going our way. It means even on the hard days, the messy days, and the imperfect ones.
My girls are grown and we don’t tuck them into bed anymore. Now, most nights, they are coming into our room to say goodnight. However, I think ending each day with the question, “What was your favorite part of the day?”, might be a good habit to continue.
Cowles Farm 