Gratitude...

There are times in ones life when something so extreme happens that time stands still. It causes one to reassess their life, their surroundings, and their future. It could come in the form of a tragedy. It could result from unexpected news, good or bad. It is moments like these that we deal with throughout life. The curve balls that life throws and the speed bumps in the road we travel append themselves to us, to our emotional being. Those who are strong-willed compress the bad deep within us and focus on the good. Those who are not as strong, only hear the bad and loose focus on the good.

Occasionally, these moments come along when nothing has happened to you at all. Nothing exceptionally good. Nothing exceptionally bad. But something has happened somewhere, to someone that causes you to take a step back and open your eyes.

After reading Tink’s post this evening (and several others about her little one before), I really didn’t know what to say that would help. It’s not often that I don’t have a witty remark or encouraging word to pass along to try and brighten someone’s day. But today was different. I wasn’t able to. What had she done to me with that post?

I made myself some dinner and sat down next to my laptop with her post on the screen. Reading it again, and again. Each time trying to come up with something to say. I got up and looked out my window. There were people walking their dogs. I looked up at the sky. The wind was pushing the leafless trees about. I thought of my life and the trivial things that I Blog about each day. At that moment, I knew what it was that I wanted to say.

I had just experienced someone else’s moment in time. For them, that moment has passed many months ago. For me, the moment happened as I was pondering what to respond with. I took my own step back and reevaluated the important things in life. It’s not this job that I’m trying to land. It’s not the petty pains of a leaking sun roof. It’s not even the annoyances of some one messing up a much loved puzzle. It’s about being happy. It’s about letting people know you care. It’s about picking up the phone and calling a father that you haven’t seen eye to eye with in the past just to tell him you’re around and that you’re going to call him more often. It’s about realizing that a different perspective on life can open your eyes. It’s about waking up each morning with a roof over my head and heat to warm my home in the winter.

It’s about telling someone how much you appreciate them. It’s about saying thank you. It’s about saying thank you to strangers as they hold a door for you. It’s about saying thank you to Tink for opening my eyes again. For that much needed slap in face that I think everyone needs from time to time to realize how much they have and take for granted each sunrise. Thank you Tink. Thank you with my newly opened eyes.