"Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted."
- Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), English novelist and essayist
Tomorrow morning Lisbeth and I are driving up to North Carolina to spend Christmas with my mom, my brothers and their wives, children and grand-children. This trip will be a little more special because our two sons are flying in from Fort Worth and San Francisco to be with us. It will be the first holiday in many years that the four of us have been together. I'm excited about the possibilities.
Before I take off I want to leave you with a couple of thoughts.
The first one concerns the fragility of life. During the holiday season, most of us get together with loved ones for awhile, sometimes willingly, sometimes reluctantly. We exchange gifts, say our thank-you's, then go back home assuming we'll see each other again next year. But who knows? Tomorrow may be the last time we'll be together.
Think about that as you experience the day, and perhaps give those you're with the benefit of letting them know how they're special to you. If you have any unresolved issues with anyone, maybe spending a few moments talking about forgiveness and new starts would be appropriate. A warm hug and "I love you" might be a good way to begin. You can take it from there.
The second thing is to ask you to think about all the good things you have in your life that you take for granted. Too often we fret over the things we don't have and forget about the blessings we do have. I was watching Dr. Phil the other day, and he challenged one of his guests who seemed to think she had hardly anything to be grateful for, to write down 100 blessings she had every day for seven days. Tall order, I'd say, but maybe worth a try. How long would your list be? A lot longer than you think, I would imagine.
If you'll be traveling, drive safely. If you'll be staying home, take care of yourselves, and by all means have a wonderful time as you celebrate this holiday season with those you care about. See you next week.
5 comments:
Some good things to ponder here!
Drive safely and have a very merry Christmas!
Good thoughts, my friend! You take care too and have a wonderful Christmas. Drive safely and bring yourselves back to us. We'll be waiting for the next entry.
WHAT A WONDERFUL JOURNAL YOU HAVE. I'LL BE BACK. MY HUSBAND WAS TOLD HE HAD CANCER, THAN THAT HE DOESN'T, AND IS STILL WASTING AWAY. YOUR WISE WORDS GAVE ME NEW ENCOURAGEMENT, REMINDING ME TO KEEP FOCUSED ON THE NOW OF MY LIFE. PLEASE VISIT MY JOURNALS-"FROM SOLITUDE-FROM SILENCE" AND "BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN." Barbpinion@aol.com
A number of years ago when I was feeling sad that I was away from my family again for yet another holiday, I forced myself to list at least 5 things that I was grateful for. The first few took some thinking over, but what I found as I started to list the things in my head was that after awhile, the list became endless. I stopped feeling sorry for myself, and started feeling blessed instead...
Sounds like a great reunion. Look forward to reading your insights on the visit when you return. Until then, I will definitely ponder your questions.
Cheers! Cheese Louise
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