I know the post title seems a little "generic" and might make you roll your eyes, but I can not tell a lie...sometimes I take my life for granted.
I wake up and open my eyes - never really appreciating that I can use all my 5 senses...instead, I groan because all I can hear are the kids crying because they are hungry and need to be changed.
I get in my car and yell - never really appreciating that I am blessed enough to own a car and can afford the gas that it requires...instead I am pulling my hair out because God forbid I have to sit in even a minute of traffic to get anywhere.
I get home and sit on the couch - never really appreciating that the house has AC when it is so hot outside ...instead I complain that I don't have a minute to myself after work before the kids want my attention until 10p at night when they go to sleep.
I forget that there are people in this world who are forced to flee the place that they call home in order to escape from being killed in the middle of the night. They trek across the sand in the heat with sips - not gallons - of water to split between their 10 children. Stopping for a nap means the possibility of having to choose to leave 2 of those children behind to slowly die because they have 8 other children to worry about getting to safety.
Those people - the ones who are put to the test on a daily basis - turn to God for strength...and they are at peace with the decisions they have had to make to survive.
I was raised in a Catholic home and went to church every Sunday as a kid, but I am not a deeply religious person. Honestly, if I was in their position, I don't know what I would do or how I would act. I can tell you that I most definitely would not be okay with leaving anyone behind...and if I had to make that tough choice, I would NOT be praising God for taking my loved one(s) "home".
Reading stories like this make me want to spend every waking moment that I can with my children...and appreciate the fact that I have not been forced to make those difficult decisions. I love my kiddos with all of my being...and after reading this, those little things that I stressed about before don't even deserve my attention now.
What do you take for granted?
Wednesday, August 17
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comments:
I am pretty much right there with you. I take everything for granted on a regular basis. I have moments of reflection, but for the most part, it's easy to get caught up in the "I'll do it later".
BDC and I are pretty good about reminding each other where the kids are concerned to enjoy the moments though. When we are tired or crabby, or otherwise occupied, we both remind the other that really soon they won't want to "play" with us anymore.
And in those moments, I do let everything else fall away and I just make memories with them.
Post a Comment