I am grateful for the adults in my young life who let me have the joy of discovery without needing to let me know they have known for a long time what I had just "discovered."

I vividly remember in my freshman year sitting in an English class with Mrs. Dittenber as the teacher, one of those no-nonsense teachers.  I felt good about what I knew and was learning, and I was adamant that "If I was going to eat my lunch..." was correct English, since the subject is singular - kind of a no-brainer, you know?  She thought the correct form was "If I were going to eat my lunch..."  Now, I had a lot of respect for Mrs. Dittenber and she had taught a lot of years, so the chances of her being wrong were not good. 

I recall her not insisting she was right - instead coming across as though she wasn't absolutely sure herself, but encouraging me to check it out.  I checked out, discovered the truth, and marveled that she had not used her superior knowledge in that instance to undermine my dignity.

Sometimes it is relaxing for me to consider what new things I have come up with all by myself . . . and realize there is nothing.  It takes the pressure off.  Everything I am and have to give comes from somewhere, someone else, starting with someone else's sperm and someone else's egg, then continuing on to such things as air.  I will not come up with anything new out of my superior knowledge, commitment, or ingenuity.  All I can do is make good use of what is available - take what is good, say no to what is bad, and live.  I get no credit for coming up with something new - there is no such thing.  What may be unique and fresh is the particular way I pass on what I receive, since I am different than any other human being.  (I don't get any credit for that either.)  And that can be fun, as long as I'm not trying to prove anything, since there is nothing that needs to be proven.

So, today I am focusing on just trying to be grateful for all that is available to me that I can use in some way to live my life and bless others.  right now I am going to go down to the gas station on the corner and get a cup of coffee that I didn't make, walk back on a sidewalk I didn't pour, and enjoy the sun that I had nothing to do with.

"God, you have given so much.  Help me to just take it, enjoy it, and pass it on.  Amen"

I work with individuals, couples, and families to identify the ways of life and death in their lives and help uncover the motivation to choose that which leads to life, whether it be through counseling or spiritual direction.  - Sheldon Swartz, MA/LMFT