Grateful

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreicate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye.

I recently attended a meeting at our church called "Focus on the Positive" and the topic we discussed was "Thank God." I ran across the above quote and it made me stop to think about the age old saying that "everything happens for a reason." I try to be a positive person as much as I can. When I get stopped at a red light when I had hoped to make it through, I pause and think that I am stuck at this red light because this is where God wants me to be right now. Maybe He is keeping me from harm by stopping me here. But, I am human, and I can get wrapped up in negativity from time to time. I try not to, but sometimes when I hear bad news or see something sad happen, I let it get to me and wonder why something bad would happen.

Just in the past 2 weeks there has been sad news in our area. A young woman, 33, was killed while driving when a truck driver accidentally ran a red light on 394. Another young woman, 25, was killed while being playful and joking with her friends at a fancy Halloween party downtown. A bank was robbed just a few towns away from us. We still have no suspect in custody from a murder that happened 1 mile from my house. The loss of life is something I have not personally dealt with often in my life.

There are other losses as well. One of my relatives had a brain tumor removed last week and has lost her ability to hear permanently. I have prayed for her over and over and wondered how it must have felt going into surgery, talking with her husband of several decades and knowing she will never again hear his voice. I can't imagine how that must feel. I have read about other "tragedies" where a family recently lost their entire home and everything in it in a fire. When I think about these things, my heart and prayers go out to these people. But, it also reminds me how precious life is and that we need to be grateful for every moment we have.

There are so many things that are taken for granted. I can hear. I can see. I am able to walk and run. I can drive myself anywhere I want to go. I have a job and while I seem to forever complain about paying taxes, I need to remember to be grateful that I have the ability to pay those taxes. I have a family - a very large family and while I occassionally feel worn out from running around and visiting and helping whenever I can, I need to remember to be grateful that we are surrounded by so much love and history in each other.

For years I complained about not being able to find a church closer to home to attend. We have gone back to our home parrish in Calumet City and while it is a 30 minute drive, it is also comforting to know that we are welcome there and that people enjoy spending time with us there.

I am learning more and more just how blessed I am. The picture at the top of this post is what I am most grateful for - my immediate family. I have a husband who loves and adores me and a daughter who is the best thing that has ever happened to us. He provides for us and takes care of us and loves us more than anyone else can. She smiles unconditionally and is in awe of the world around her. And as I watch her play and explore, I realize that I am also in awe of the world as God created it and I feel very lucky that I am here today to be a part of it. God is good and He has give us so much in ourselves, in our surroundings and in each other. Thank You God.