“Thank You, Hashem, thank You, Hashem, thank You, Hashem for making beautiful bugs”

My son scooped Joey Newcomb five years ago.

He was in the yard on his knees, peering at the ground intently. I watched from the screen door, grateful that the soil and ants and beetles and earthworms and whatever else was in that patch on the lawn kept him captivated for so long.

Then I heard him singing to himself, “Thank you Hashem, thank you Hashem, thank you Hashem for making beautiful bugs.”

I quickly grabbed the camera to video it for posterity, and we all still get a kick out of it. While he may not be a musical prodigy, the tune is pretty basic, and catchy, and oddly enough I still sometimes find myself humming the song.

My son’s “Thank you Hashem” composition didn’t go viral, but I was—and still am—moved by what it implied. I appreciate the hakaras hatov, the fact that my son recognizes the good in even the seemingly small things. I marvel at his simple connection to Hashem, that even at age five, he recognizes Who provides us with everything we need (creepy crawlies included). I love that he enjoys nature, a healthy outlet for his insatiable curiosity (this is the same kid who later that day studied an earthworm to death, and then came to ask me to help revive it with water. Hrm).