I honestly don’t know why I’m compelled to write about this. I guess posting the poem Paradox of Time (see the following post) made me think about it. Maybe by posting it I might help some of my readers to find other things in their lives the are grateful for, aside from the obvious things (food, shelter, family, friends…).
I have been whining a lot lately about desperately needing a haircut. When my hair flops in front of my eyes when I’m trying to work at the computer then it’s time to get a haircut. Most of the time I won’t go until my husband makes me go. I tend to put off my “needs” so that my family can have their needs met first. If we all need haircuts (which we do) I will go without just to make sure we have enough money for my husband and kids to get haircuts. That is just how I am.
Anyway…
Here I am whining about needing a haircut. Until the other day when I was waiting at the bus stop for my kids to come home from school and I saw a lady get out of her car to deposit mail into the mailbox at the main entrance of our condo complex. She was maybe 10+ years older then me, give or take. She was dressed nicely and a beautiful silk scarf (or so it appeared to be) wrapped around her head. It was clear that she was completely bald under the scarf. I know there are diseases that cause people to lose their hair (Alopecia). Chemotherapy and some medications can cause hair loss as well.
After seeing that lady with no hair at all it made me VERY grateful that I had the hair I have. It’s not as important now that my hair flops into my face when I’m working on the computer. At least I have hair to do that. It means that I am healthy and I don’t have to go through something like chemotherapy or deal with a disease that causes hair loss. I rather have to use a scrunchy or rubber band to keep the hair out of my face then lose my hair the way that lady probably lost her hair.
I hope you see my point. We need to learn to be more grateful for even the littlest things. You might not think you have to be grateful for hair until you find yourself with no hair.
The same train of thought holds true for just about anything in your life. I have an inexpensive pair of $10 sneakers from Pay Less. It’s the only pair of shoes that I own. True, they are getting old and worn and I need to get a new pair but I appreciate those sneakers more when I think about those who don’t own shoes, those who are unable to walk or those who have lost their legs or feet to a terrible accident or disease.
If you think this way you’ll find dozens of things to be grateful for each and every day of your life. The next time you want to complain about something in your life stop for a moment and REALLY think about it. Soon you’ll realize that it’s not so bad after all.
This reminds me of another wonderful poem…
I am thankful for the wife who says “It’s hot dogs tonight” because that means she is home with me and not out with someone else.
I am thankful for the husband who is on the sofa being a “couch potato” because that means he’s home with me and not out at the bars.
I am thankful for the teenager who is complaining about doing the dishes because that means he/she is safe and home with me and not out on the streets.
I am thankful for the taxes that I pay because it means that I am employed.
I am thankful for the mess I need to clean up after a party because it means I was surrounded by my friends.
I am thankful for my clothes that fit a little too snug because that means I have enough to eat.
I am thankful for my shadow that watches me work because it means that I am out the sunshine.
I am thankful for the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
I am thankful for all the complaining I hear about the Government because it means that we have Freedom of Speech.
I am thankful for the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.
I am thankful for my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
I am thankful for the lady sitting behind me in church that sings off key because it means that I can hear.
I am thankful for the pile of laundry and ironing because it means I have clothes to wear.
I am thankful for the weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because i means I have been capable of working hard.
I am thankful for the the alarm that goes off early in the morning because it means that I am alive.
I’m sorry that I don’t know who the author is.
Well, OK. I am always thankful to be alive, but I’m not exactly thankful for alarm clocks. I am so NOT a morning person. So I have to also be thankful for my coffee pot with the automatic timer that has my coffee ready for me when the dreaded alarm does go off. Ha Ha.
My point with all of this is that we need to learn to appreciate and be thankful for each and every little blessing in our lives. Whether it’s a head of unruly hair or a comfortable pair of old shoes.
To quote a line from one of my favorite movies (“Where the Heart Is“), “‘You’re whole life can change with a single breath.”
