Sometimes I Take for Granted

Sometimes I take for granted that...

1)   I have people in my life who love me just the way I am.

2)  I have a husband who works incredibly hard, who never complains about his work.

3)  I have a warm, comfortable bed to sleep in each night.

4)  I can have clean clothes any time I want.

5)  My children love and respect me a lot, and never hesitate to show it.  They also like being with me.

6)  I receive tender touches each and every day from someone around my home, be it an arm across my shoulder, a peck on the cheek, a long bear hug just because, or a hand that reaches for mine.  This may be my #1 thing to be grateful for and not take for granted.  Human touch is important.

7)  I have matured in my faith, and thus panic less while seeking and listening more.

8)  No matter how poor it is, I still have correctable eye sight.  Bi-focals on order, and super expensive lenses because of the Rx being so high, but at least I can still see the leaves on trees clearly, and the smiles on the faces of those around me.

9)  My car runs, I can rely on it because it is in good shape regardless of how old or how many miles on it.  I don't have to hold my breath when I turn the key in the ignition.

10) I have several friends to laugh with...and cry with when necessary.

11)  I have a husband who has been my one and only forever.

12)  I have a happy, yellow house.  I absolutely love pulling on to our street and seeing our happy yellow house.

13)  The water that comes out of the tap is clear, cool, and clean.

14)  I can read and write well, I can understand virtually anything I read no matter at what level it is written.  I realize that many Americans do not have that ability, and it has made a huge difference in my life.

15)  Every day of my life, there are smiles around me, there is virtually no anger, no arguing, no discord.  I know I take it for granted, but I often give thanks for this very thing, for I can never express my gratitude for that enough.

16)  I have strong, smart, capable people circling me, some who carry my last name and some who do not.

17)  I have what I need, and some of what I want...and that is a blessing.

18)  I am safer than many are when they go to sleep at night.

19)  I take for granted that I have children, wonderful, amazing, super thoughtful, pretty darned perfect children.

20)  I take for granted that I have suffered some hardships in my life, and where I am today in life is a direct result of those hardships.

Ten minutes ago I stood in the hallway while five children crowded around me, telling me about their evening and what they had done while I was gone.  They were quietly standing there, one tall one with an arm around my waist, another grinning from ear to ear telling me about a project they were working on.  As I reminded them that Kenny and I would be gone for his MRI in the morning, one by one they each said something along the line of, "OK, I can work on my math/stock market research/civil war leader report.  Don't worry, we'll be busy until you get home."  Then I was sweetly asked how my evening was, and if I enjoyed it.

I know this doesn't happen in many homes with teens this age.  I know that for many moms returning home from an evening out, there would barely be an acknowledgment of her presence, or a demand for her to do something for them.  Instead, I had my laundry pulled from the dryer and folded/hung for me by either the kids or Dominick, the kitchen was cleaned up so I had no mess to take care of, and I was hugged a lot and told to have sweet dreams tonight by my own children.

Sometimes I might take it for granted, but truthfully, it isn't very often.  With every quiet conversation, every hand hold, every glance up from what they are doing and a chipper "Hi, Mom!" is uttered...I know how blessed I am, I rarely forget it, for it is the key to why my life is so sweet.  With every sweaty end to a long, hard, hot day, with every laugh at the antics around us, with every night he comes home to me, I know I am blessed, and I rarely forget it.

Reserving gratitude for Thanksgiving is a travesty.