With the season of Thanksgiving upon us, it is a wonderful time to reflect on the many reasons we should be grateful. Sometimes I think we don't take seriously all of the things we can and should be grateful for. We state that we are "grateful" as if we are trying to win a Miss Universe pageant. It sounds corny and fluffy. We forget to encompass the grandness of what we are grateful for. What would you have tomorrow if you woke up with only what you are grateful for? What would be left in your home, life or planet?
Think of your relationships, your roles as a child, sibling, spouse and so on. Would any of them be with you? Would any of them want to be with you? Are you grateful to be a parent? To have those little heartwarming moments that only children can bring.
How about your home? You may not live in your dream home, but you do have a home, with electricity and running water. To many in the world, you are living in their dream home.
Think of the air that you breathe. The water that you drink. The sun that warms our planet. The shoes that are on your feet. The clothes that you wear. Everything that surrounds you. Do you take time to notice the small things in life?
What about all those machines in your home to simplify daily tasks? The water heater. The fridge. The dishwasher. The washing machine. The dryer. The vacuum. The microwave. The list could go on. With all of those machines, you can accomplish a lot in one day.
Just some food for thought for this year's Thanksgiving. I am sure other things will come to your mind to be grateful for.
I am sometimes awestruck when I really ponder all the things that I should be grateful for. It makes me wonder how we in the Western World are some of the unhappiest on Earth, whereas some of the happiest people in the world come from small villages in Africa, where they don't have nearly the same sort of wealth that we enjoy on a daily basis. Makes me wonder if we are actually grateful for what we have.
As the saying goes, you really don't realize what you have until you lose it. Let's make sure we count our blessings so, when we wake up, we have what we are grateful for.
