I won't be able to give you exact quotes even though I will be close enough to use quotation marks, and there is no way I can list all the people you added, but your prayers tonight were precious.
After crossing ourselves, you started, "Dear God, thank you for the wonderful day and thank you for letting me eat dinner and thank you for stopping me from crying..." You looked up, unsure of yourself, and asked me to continue instead.
"No. You are doing great! Please continue!" as I listened intently to what you have learned from our nightly prayers.
You repeated the first part this time adding, "and we pray for Nansy and pray for Mommy and pray for me and pray for Daddy and pray for Aunt LuAnn and pray for Bwama and pray for Pop-Pop and pray for Na and pray for Ryan and pray for Aunt Karen and pray for Uncles Chris and pray for Aunt Debbie and pray for Gabe and pray for Nana Jeanne and pray for Uncle Rob and pray for Emma and pray for...." the list went on and on. It included just about any name that came to your mind including what I assume is a good majority of your classmates and probably all of your family, even great aunts and uncles. You always surprise me who is on your mind as you pull out some more obscure names that we haven't seen lately. Some times it would seem as you were forgetting someone, but you always returned to family groups that were interrupted. I suppose your mind was going faster than your lips and sometimes you would just have to throw in someone that came to mind right there and then. I lost count at about fifty people but I sat there listening intently as you were on quite the roll. Realizing you were starting to repeat a few, you looked at me and said, "I think that is enough for tonight."
I added "We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen." and continued on with the Our Father. We cut short the other three prayers we normally add as I figured your heartfelt inclusion of so many was more than enough.
I wonder if prayers are weighted? I guess a prayer from any source, as long as it comes from the heart, holds equal importance, but hearing a prayer from a young innocent mouth sure makes me question that logic. You make me so proud.
Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo
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