Being Thankful

I have a daily reading desktop calendar that contains a quote of the day. The quote for April 15 was “Most of us don’t realize how much we have to be thankful for until we have to pay taxes on it” I don’t find that necessary to be true, but humorous; unfortunately, however, it often takes a tragic event or a loss of someone special to remind us how precious life is, and there are things we (not deliberately) take for granted.

It was a sad, sad day yesterday, the tragic bombing in Boston.  Hard to believe as we continue to see the events and how they unfolded before our very eyes on TV.  How it looked like a war zone in another country, not something you would see in the US.  It is especially hard for me to imagine that in one innocent moment, as you are going about your life, enjoying the sights, sounds, and events around you, that things can take a turn for the worst.  The unimaginable, the unexpected happens and takes that all away from you—even how going to work, or being in your office one moment, turned into a horrendous day, like the World Trade Center.

I think about the innocence of a child, who was only 8 years old, and a family destroyed in a senseless act of violence, how they were sharing a moment of love and admiration, then all sense of normalcy stripped away from them. Perhaps the individual who committed this heinous attack has never, or stopped, appreciating life; has never thought they had no reason to be thankful for anything; or hates their very existence to the point of taking it out on others.  Whatever the situation, it is sad.

Let’s take time out of our doing to notice it is the small things that matters: the laughter and joy of a child being a child, the way the sun falls into a room in the morning, planting a garden, the smell and sound of coffee brewing, a smell of your favorite food cooking, seeing a good movie, going to your child’s concert, game, or confirmation, enjoying a special dessert, baking cookies, and spending a moment (or two or three) with a loved one, a friend.  Whatever significantly small pleasures that you can think of, that are so often taken for granted, remember them, relish them, and be thankful for them. Dear Lord, help me to appreciate the simple things and all that Your hand provides while I have the chance!