A Thankful Heart

You know, I might philosophize a little tonight. Feel free to skip this post. As I was sitting on the couch today after the rounds with the nebulizer and the children, I happened to be feeling a teensy bit sorry for myself. My two-year old came up to me and said, "Mommy, are you ok?"

Mommy replied, "I'm just a little sad."

Two-year old, "Oh Mommy. Do you need a hug?" And he proceeded to give me a very nice hug (as much as was possible as I was cuddling the one-year old who is traumatized by being sick).

Two-year old, "Mommy, I'm going to pray for you." So he ran over to our Rameumptom (children's play table where we happen to say our family prayers) and proceeded to say a prayer for me. "Father, please bless Mommy to feel better. Please bless Baby Will. Jesus Christ, Amen."

Then he ran back over to me and put his hands on my head and proceeded to try and give me a blessing. He blessed my hair. He blessed my head. He blessed me to feel better. And I did.

And I got to thinking about the beautiful rainbow I saw yesterday as I was driving home from the pharmacy. And I began thinking about how blessed I am. I was sitting in my house, with electricity, safe, protected from the elements, with plenty to eat (a little too much, truth to be told), surrounded by my children who are happy, funny, caring, high-energy gifts from God, hours from seeing my husband...the list kept going.

I don't know why it's so hard sometimes to remember how blessed I am. I have had so many experiences all throughout life that has showed me that no matter how bad I think I've got it, someone has it much worse. And that someone is generally dealing with it better.

Just today I was reading on CNN about the daily torture happening to the Iraqi people. I've seen people starving to death. I've seen children with swollen bellies from parasites that they can't get medicine to get rid of. I've seen hospitals with no medicine, no band-aids even. I've seen man's inhumanity to man up close--too close.

Not that we can't acknowledge that we are sad, or frustrated, or hurt by the real things going on in our lives. But I sometimes think that not acknowledging too, the blessings amidst the sorrows is the most damaging part of having those hard times--not the hard times themselves.

I guess the daily wisdom for me was to love, love, love the life I've got. It's sure a good one.