朱磊　供稿

The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.

According to legend， a young man while roaming the desert came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet， he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher.

After a four-day journey he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink， smiled warmly and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.

Later， the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out， saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container.

The student challenged his teacher： “Master， the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it？”

The teacher replied， “You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of loving and kindness and nothing could be sweeter.”

I think we understand this lesson best when we receive innocent gifts of love from young children. Whether its a ceramic tray or a macaroni bracelet， the natural and proper response is appreciation and expressed thankfulness because we love the idea within the gift.

Gratitude doesnt always come naturally. Unfortunately， most children and many adults value only the thing given rather than the feeling embodied in it. We should remind ourselves and teach our children about the beauty and purity of feelings and expressions of gratitude. After all， gifts from the heart are really gifts of the heart.

世界上最難的算術(shù)題是如何清點(diǎn)我們的祝福。

據(jù)傳說(shuō)，一個(gè)年輕的男子在漫游沙漠途中看到一股如水晶般清澈而可口的泉水。水的味道非常甜美，于是他灌滿(mǎn)了他的皮水壺，這樣就可以帶一些回去，送給曾經(jīng)是他老師的部落長(zhǎng)老。

經(jīng)過(guò)四天的旅程，他把水送給了老人。老人深飲一口，和藹地笑了笑，并真誠(chéng)地感激學(xué)生贈(zèng)予他甜美的水。年輕人懷著愉快的心情回到了自己的村莊。

后來(lái)，老師讓他的另一個(gè)學(xué)生品嘗水。學(xué)生吐了出來(lái)，說(shuō)水太難喝了。它顯然已經(jīng)因?yàn)殛惻f的皮革容器而變得不再新鮮。

學(xué)生質(zhì)疑他的老師：“師父，水是臭的，你為什么要假裝喜歡它？”

老師回答說(shuō)，“你只品嘗了水的味道，我卻是在品嘗禮物的味道。水僅僅是裝載善與愛(ài)的行為的容器，而沒(méi)有什么東西比善與愛(ài)更甜美了。”

我認(rèn)為當(dāng)我們從天真的孩子們那里收到愛(ài)的禮物時(shí)，能夠最透徹地明白這個(gè)道理。無(wú)論它是一個(gè)陶瓷托盤(pán)或是一個(gè)通心粉手鐲，我們自然而恰當(dāng)?shù)姆磻?yīng)就是欣賞，并表示感激，因?yàn)槲覀兿矚g禮物所包含的心意。

感恩并不總是自然而來(lái)的。不幸的是，大多數(shù)兒童和成人只看重被贈(zèng)予的東西本身，而不是它所體現(xiàn)的情誼。我們應(yīng)該提醒自己，并教導(dǎo)我們的孩子，對(duì)感激之情的表達(dá)是美麗而純潔的。畢竟，發(fā)自?xún)?nèi)心給與的禮物才是真正的心的禮物。

（朱 磊 供稿）