Within this past month two of my co-workers have suffered the sudden loss of a loved one. Four weeks ago one woman lost her fifty-nine year old husband. After dinner at their campground he got up from the picnic table, took one step, collapsed and died instantaneously.
This morning another of my co-workers informed me that her nephew’s thirty nine year old wife succumbed to and a very aggressive form of breast cancer. She was diagnosed in April of 2010. She leaves behind a husband, a twelve year old son and a ten year old daughter.
I cannot imagine the heartache, the loss and devastation that these people must be feeling. It is like that water glass that slips through your fingers, crashes to the ground and shatters into many jagged pieces. One minute you are holding the vessel that housed an essential element of life, water, the next moment that vessel that contained the source of life is gone. Much like those sudden passing’s the survivors are left to reassemble the shards of glass and make some sense of their new reality.
When we arrive on this earth not one of us is given any guarantee of a certain number of minutes, days, week, months or years that we will be here. The sad thing is that most of us, including myself lose sight of this fact. We worry continually about things that we cannot control. We hold on to anger and harbor it as if it is our birth right! While focusing on the negative we fail to notice the simple things in life, the goodness in people, and the beauty that surrounds us on this planet.
So the devastation that my co-workers have suffered recently got me thinking of all that I take for granted and all that I am grateful for. Here is my list.
Ø The smell of fresh brewed coffee in the morning
Ø The way my twenty year old daughter ends every phone call to me by saying “I love you.”
Ø The warm feeling of sunshine on my face.
Ø The blazing red, yellow and orange colors that the fall leaves paint the landscape with.
Ø The ability to get out of bed each day pain free and be productive
Ø The smell of Christmas pine.
Ø The gentleness of my husband’s hand and spirit.
Ø The gift of true friends
Ø The pre dawn wakeup call from the newest resident in our neighborhood, the wise owl.
Ø The feel of sand beneath my feet and the surf upon my toes.
Ø The peaceful quietness of summer mornings.
Ø The smell of an apple pie baking
Ø The warmth of a hug from my Mom and Dad
Ø The peacefulness and pureness of a nighttime snowfall
Ø The quirky way my son says “the thing is…” as he starts many of his sentences.
Ø The love and support of my sisters.
Ø A fireplace with a roaring fire.
Ø The smell of a newborn baby.
Ø A gentle sunrise and a fiery sunset.
Ø My children’s smiles
Ø The sound of a flowing stream
Ø Summer nights sitting on my deck watching the dance of the fireflies
Upon review of my list I am drawn to one common thread. The things that I am grateful for and take for granted are the purest of things in life. These are not acquired by financial wealth, but rather from the wealth of spirit, heart and connection.
There is no guarantee of a tomorrow, all we have is today, so soak it in, enjoy it, and savor it. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Breathe in deeply, love fully, smile always and may your heart be forever joyful!
So what is on your gratitude list?
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