English Original
According to legend, a young man roaming the desert found a spring of delicious, crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet that he filled his leather canteen to 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. The teacher 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. The student spat it out, saying it was awful. The water had apparently become stale from 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-kindness, and nothing could be sweeter."
We understand this lesson best when we receive innocent gifts of love from young children. Whether it's 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 doesn't 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 truly gifts of the heart.
中文翻译
传说，一位年轻人在沙漠中漫游时，发现了一处甘美清澈的泉水。水如此清甜，他装满自己的皮水壶，想带一些回去给他曾经的老师——一位部落长老。
经过四天的旅程，他将水呈给老人。老师深深喝了一口，温暖地微笑着，并慷慨地感谢学生带来的甜水。年轻人满心欢喜地回到了村庄。
后来，老师让另一位学生品尝这水。学生把它吐了出来，说水太难喝了。显然，水因为陈旧的皮制容器而变得不新鲜了。
学生质疑他的老师：“师父，水是臭的。您为什么要假装喜欢它？”
老师回答道：“你只尝到了水。我尝到的是礼物。水仅仅是承载善行的容器，没有什么比这更甜美了。”
当我们收到孩子们纯真的爱的礼物时，最能理解这个道理。无论是一个陶瓷托盘还是一串通心粉手链，自然而恰当的反应是欣赏和表达感谢，因为我们珍视礼物中包含的心意。
感恩并非总是与生俱来。不幸的是，大多数孩子和许多成年人只重视被赠予的物品，而非其中蕴含的情感。我们应该提醒自己，并教导我们的孩子关于情感和感恩表达的美好与纯粹。毕竟，来自内心的礼物，才是真正的心灵馈赠。