I just returned from a walk. It is a beautiful day here in Missouri. I was struck by how clear and blue the sky is and there is no wind. As I walked around the complex we live in, I came upon some geese grazing on the grass. They glanced up at me momentarily and a few of them honked, but then they returned to their feast. As I rounded the corner and headed east, the sun shone directly on my face and it was like a warm hug from God. I love the sun; it comforts me and fills me with a sense of peace. I inhaled the cool morning air and it filled my lungs. I felt my heart expand and energy flow through my body.
You could say that today is an ordinary day. But is it? Is any day ordinary?
When my mother was dying from emphysema, I watched her struggle to breathe. The air sacs in her lungs were damaged as a result of her years of smoking. I found myself subconsciously sitting there inhaling deeply as if I could breathe for her. Toward the end, she was confined to her bed and would lie there looking out the window, unable to even attend to her smallest of needs.
It is easy to take for granted what we call the ordinary. But when these ordinary things are gone...
As you go about your day today, try to see everything in a different way. Don't take anything for granted. Appreciate your senses, the way your lungs fill with air without you having to even do anything. Appreciate the people in your life--even those who test your patience. Give thanks for the food that you eat and think of all that it took to bring it to your table--the farmers, grocers and truckers. Appreciate everything and everyone and take nothing for granted.
When you look at your life from a different perspective--from an attitude of gratitude and appreciation, there is no ordinary day. Each day truly is spectacular and a blessing.
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