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Here we are at another gratitude Friday! Do you know people that are doing the “month of gratitude” on Facebook or somewhere else? I’ve had such a happy heart as I have seen posts from many of my friends each day, talking about something they are thankful for.
The first few days of the month seem to be some of the more obvious – family, faith, friends, etc – but now that we are toward the middle of the month, you can tell there is some more thought put into the posts.
Some are so heartfelt, and you can often tell what kind of day someone has had by the things they write. I smiled to myself a couple days ago when someone said they were grateful for chocolate and someone else mentioned toilet paper. And a tear came to my eye as I read that others expressed gratitude for painkillers or to have time to spend with a dying parent.
There is always something to be grateful for, isn’t there?!?! We just have to be looking for it. And we have to recognize those things as blessings and not take them for granted. So a big “thank you” to family and friends for sharing each day and helping me to continue to remember that!
Our guest blogger for today is Dawnette Hutchison. She’s one of our remote circulation team members, so we don’t see her as often as we might like here in the office, but we are so grateful for the work she does, and I’m happy to share her thoughts with you.
She writes:
I have a dear Aunt that lives in Fresno California. She has been my role model and confident throughout much of my life, especially during the challenging times. One of her sayings is “If you don’t have your health you don’t have anything; always be thankful for good health.”
I have often pondered this statement but especially the last eight months as I have watched the decline of my father’s health, both from the natural process of aging and also of some not-so-good choices he made in his life. With that being said, I started thinking of all the blessings that a healthy body allows me to experience.
I am thankful for my eyes that can see the beauty of the earth. I love where I live and am thankful that I can see the beauty of the mountains that surround me and all that nature has to offer and the beautiful faces of family and friends.
I am thankful for hands and arms that allow me to work in the soil in my garden and yard , embrace my family with hugs , offer service to my fellow man and to help provide for my family by working on my computer.
I am thankful for my sense of smell that can smell the cedar trees after a misty rainfall, the fragrant scent of flowers, the aroma of a home-cooked meal or that sweet smell of alfalfa right after its been baled and stacked.
I am thankful for ears that hear the beauty of music that surrounds us in so many different forms; from a new grandbaby’s cry or laugh, the gurgling of a creek, the howl of a coyote in the distance, or a good ol’ belly-laugh of a loved one.
I am thankful for my heart that has felt both joy and pain.
I am thankful for my legs that allow me to move about in a free manner so that I can experience a hike in the summer, experience a winter wonderland on my skis or a ride on my bike.
May we not take our health for granted, but take good care of ourselves and consider it a precious gift. Following is a quote I came across the other day that I felt was worth sharing:
“One of the main reasons that we lose our enthusiasm in life is because we become ungrateful…we let what was once a miracle become common to us. We get so accustomed to his goodness it becomes a routine..” (Joel Osteen, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full)
Oh, Dawnette…THANK YOU for that beautiful quote! It really goes along with what I have been thinking lately. And you are so right…our health is truly a blessing. It’s one of those things we tend not to think about too much until we don’t have it, but we do need to make the effort to take care our that precious gift as much as we possibly can!
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