Being Grateful - Nov 18th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov. 18th:

There are opposites in all things: light versus darkness, heat and coldness, noise contrasting quiet, laughter versus tears. You could probably list a dozen more opposites without thinking too hard about it. 

We experience each side of these coins through a lifetime, tasting the bitter and the sweet at various points. It is because of opposites that we develop appreciation. 

For example, hard work makes us welcome rest. Salt causes sugar to taste sweeter to the tongue. The chill of winter gives summertime more impact. Prolonged darkness gives greater value to a sunrise. It is our experiences with opposition that teach us to appreciate the good over the bad, the kind over the cruel, things of worth over things of no real value. 

Even though some experiences are unpleasant, the truth is that opposition makes us more aware, more discerning, and more appreciative. I am grateful for opposites and the learning experiences they provide us in life.

 

 November 19th

Being Grateful - Nov 17th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov. 17th:

I removed a pile of envelopes from my mailbox today and noticed a big, brown, hairy spider standing motionless on the top piece of mail. Shrieking (because I hate spiders) I dumped everything onto the ground and then—with a thick envelope advertising 0% on a new credit card—I swatted at where the spider had landed. You might be wondering if today I am grateful for no-interest credit card offers (as if there’s never a catch) but no. The nasty spider got me thinking….

Strangely, I’m not afraid of grasshoppers, crickets, tree frogs, or mantises that are found in abundance where I live. Nope, I just hate spiders. I neither appreciate their purpose nor understand why they were designed to look so creepy. *shuddering* Nonetheless, I have a friend who is in fact fascinated by spiders: their hunting methods, routine habits, and the geometric design of their webs. So, while I freak out at the sight of eight long, hairy legs, spiders genuinely capture my friend’s interest. (Go figure.)

Now, this got me thinking about how vast the variety of life is on the Earth. Did you know there are over 8,700,000 species of animals in the world? Over 34,000 recognized species of fish, over 17,500 species of butterflies, over 10,000 species of birds, over 9,000 different insects, and over 45,000 kinds of spiders! (That’s a lot of creepy crawlers.)

My point is that nature gifts us a wealth of variety in life—in lifeforms. The world is a colorful, stunning place because of it. Among human life the same thing is true: we are more beautiful because of the variety that exists in our appearances, cultures, talents, and unique personalities. Variety is a tremendous blessing. Differences are glorious. I am thankful today to have recognized this truth.

 

 November 18th

Being Grateful - Nov 16th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.




Nov. 16th:

One of my all-time favorite phrases has been around for years, and it goes like this: 

"Once upon a time…"

Oh, how I love to hear those words! They have the power to hush an auditorium full of people, making every ear pause with anticipation for one of the most enticing pleasures in the world—a story. 

We love stories! I love to read them; I love to write them. But it is not the fairy tales I find as fascinating as the creativity and imagination unveiled by the author who wrote them. Stories are a treat—no arguments there—but when the plot takes an unexpected turn, when the tale “wows” the reader, that is the sweet experience we want. 

It takes real creativity and imagination to craft a story like that. I am thankful for clever imaginations. I am thankful for the gift of creativity. I am thankful that these talents can be improved with practice.

 

 November 17th