Thankful Thursday

Sometimes -- not often enough, but I’m hoping to change that -- I make a conscious effort to be more aware of the beauty and blessings around me. I sometimes say a prayer to be open to seeing these things. I know they’re there. I'm just too preoccupied sometimes to notice them.

I’d also like to give thanks for the wonderful things in my life. It’s a strange time, to be sure. Things are uncertain, people are struggling and worried. I’m not immune to this. But I want to remove myself from dwelling on the things that don’t matter and I want to focus on what I’ve been given and what’s good. Because I’ve been given a lot and so much is so good.

These feelings have been building in me for a while now. But I also feel a push from this quote. A reporter friend of mine just interviewed a father whose daughter had been killed by a drunk driver. Here’s what the father told her:

“Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.”

This brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. These are ideas I’d like to live by. Wouldn’t you too?

Photo by me.