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Counting Our Blessings
Today most of us have so much to be thankful for, it's hard to know where to start. Sometimes we need to be smacked in the face with someone else's situation before we realize how fortunate we are. A few days ago I received an email from a friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer. I couldn't help but notice how differently my friend now looks at life.
With no reference to our Thanksgiving holiday but simply with the enlightenment that each day has suddenly become something to be treasured, an uncensored list of things to be thankful for emerged. The list included the sweet relief rendered by opium, reading a classic novel for the first time, the support of good friends who are genuinely concerned, those fleeting moments when the dark cloud of illness is overshadowed by the joy of the moment, the Fall color that "continues to unfold in all its glory, as if I'm seeing it for the first time", and peanut butter and banana sandwiches. This new perspective was summarized by saying, "it's a shame that it takes a tragedy for one to realize the things that matter most. For the first time in my life I understand smelling the roses."
This is the Law of Supply and Demand in its purest form; the less of something we have, the more precious it is. Like one cancer survivor said after beating this ominous adversary, "There is no such thing as a bad day."
So what would you be thankful for if you were living with the threat that this might be your last Thanksgiving? (And who's to say it isn't the last for any of us). Would you hug your loved ones a little longer? Would it make that four hour trek to Uncle Bill's a little less of an ordeal? Would it matter so much that the dog chewed up your Sunday shoes? Would you tell friends and family that you loved them one more time before you went your separate ways? Would you thank God that you and your loved ones have survived another year?
I hope this will be a reminder for us all to slow down a little, let it sink in how blessed we really are, and savor the little things we so often take for granted or lose in the rush; the warm sun on our faces, the gentle breeze at our backs, the free symphony of Mother Nature's creatures each time we step outside; each day and each moment of this journey we call life.
God Bless And Be With You And Yours This Thanksgiving.
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