A Little Reminder

Life has been busy. I don't just mean having a list of things to do each day. I mean that life has just been flying by. The days all seem to mush together, and even the weeks are hard to tell apart.
It's almost the end of August. Let me restate that... It's almost the END of AUGUST!!
Wow! What happened to July? Oh yeah, I was in Africa and then I was moving and getting unpacked. In high school, I was the girl counting down the days til graduation (in 9th grade!). I was the one who just wanted to move on and get going. I hated being in high school, well school period. Now, I am twenty-two years old wondering where in the world the days have run off to? I remember so many people telling me to enjoy my life and not wish to be something else, and I like to think I listened to them to an extent.
Why is it that the older we get the faster time seems to fly by? I realized a couple years ago that life is something we can't take for granted. I realized that each breath, whether big or small, is a gift-one to be treasured. I realized how quickly things can change in a matter of seconds. I realized that life cannot be lived by "what ifs," and that the longer we procrastinate to do things, the less time we will have to accomplish them. I learned to live in the moment. I learned to purposefully live each day with an optimistic view.
It's sad how quickly those wonderfully inspiring thoughts can become old news. The idea that everything is a gift and that nothing should be taken for granted is a thought that can quickly be buried underneath the demands of life. It took a tragedy to make me realize this, and now realizing how quickly I can forget it puts me on edge. The idea that each day is one to be thankful for and lived out to the fullest is so easily crushed by the weight of our day to day responsibilities. I hate that I am so quick to forget that I can't wait until tomorrow to do what should be done today. No one knows their last day. No one can guarantee the next couple of minutes, let alone the next day.
As I sit here with toys scattered around me, a pounding sinus headache, a squeaky voice, and sheer exhaustion weighing down my body, I am, for whatever reason, reminded that this life, the one that I call my own, was given to me. It was hand-crafted, tailor made, for me, Becky, the twenty two year old nanny making it on her own in this big world. I am reminded that whether I am picking up toys, wiping snotty noses, brushing away tears, playing catch, cleaning up from meals, pacifying ancy children, driving home, grocery shopping, cleaning my own house, doing laundry, tending to customers at the store, or organizing clothes on shelves for what seems like hours I need to be thankful. I need to be thankful that
1. I am able to do each and every one of those things
2. I am surviving on my own
3. I am capable of impacting little lives
4. I have the opportunity to turn each moment in my life into a reason to be excited about being alive
5. I was given today to do all of these things
It's so easy to become preoccupied by life, and let's face it, our culture isn't exactly one that reminds us to be thankful for what we have. So many advertisements, songs, shows, movies, books...you get my point... remind us of all the things that we "need." Better yet, they remind us of the things that they think we need. Life can be lived without a car, 3 meals a day, a house, a closet of clothes, hair products, make up, shoes- insert whatever else you might be thinking of. The point is, we have so much to be thankful for.
How many mornings have you woke up and thought, "Wow, I am so thankful that I actually woke up this morning."? Or, "Yes, I can move my legs and arms and can feel my toes, today is going to be a good day." What about "I am so thankful for my running water or food in the pantry." It's so easy for us to live our lives as if we are deserving of these things, but we aren't. We are no different than other people in other countries. The only difference is, for whatever reason, we were born in America rather than a third world country. But, who says that America won't be there at some point? Who can truly guarantee that the simplicity of clean, running water might become a scarcity in this country? No one, that's who. We have no guarantee of anything in this life remaining. We aren't even guaranteed the next breath we are about to take.
I don't know about you, but when I put things into that kind of perspective, it makes me think. It reminds me that I am not better than others and therefore am not deserving of these things. But, I have them so I need to be grateful for them and not take them for granted.
It took a painful event to open my eyes to just how lucky I am to be here typing at this very second, and I don't ever want to forget it.

photo by me

I challenge you to find beauty in each day and be thankful for the other things you find along your way...