Things You Should Not Take for Granted.docx
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ThingsYouShouldNotTakeforGranted
ThingsYouShouldNotTakeforGranted
Donotspoilwhatyouhavebydesiringwhatyouhavenot;rememberthatwhatyounowhavewasonceamongthethingsyouonlyhopedfor.
―Epicurus
Thelackofgratitudemakesustakethemostessentialthingsinlife,forgranted.Aswecontinuewithourjourneyoflife,takingeachdayasitcomes,andslowlysinkingintothemonotonyofit,therearecertainmomentsthatsortofknockagainstthedoorofourunderstanding,andraiseaquestionastohowwehaveprioritizedourlife...notonlyourlife,butthemanylivesthatareassociatedwithus.Thisarticleisacompilationofthemomentsthatreflectedinmylifeduringthemostdesperatehoursofneed;theyhelpedmerealizethethingsIdidtakeforgranted...aboutthethingsthatsomedayortheotherwealltendtotakeforgranted.ThereisaReasonWeCallitFamilyWhilewe'retoobusytoflipthepicturesofthepast,
Weseldomrealize,thesearetheonlyrelationshipsthatlast!
Howmanytimeshaveweblamed'thelackoftime'tobethereasonfornotcallingourparentsorsiblings?
Areweawareofwhatishappeningintheirlives?
Areourparentsenjoyingtheirretirement,ordotheyfeellonely?
Isyourbrotherfacingchallengesinhisjob?
Isyoursisterhappywithherpartner?
Whohastimeforallthesethings,right?
They'reallgrownupsandcapableofhandlingtheirlivesprettywell,isn'tit?
Then,whatmakesyoudifferentfromotherswhoare"non-family"?
Ihavecometorealizethehardwaythattheonlypeoplewhowillstandbyyouthroughthickandthinisyourfamily.Callingyourmotherforafewminutesduringlunch,justtoaskwhatshe'scooked,tellingyourfatheraboutthefishingtripyouwentfor,ormessagingyoursisterwhileeatingatherfavoritejoint...thesearethelittlethingsthatmakelifeworthlivingandpreventusfrombeingtoobusyforourfamily...preventusfromtakingourclosestrelationships,forgranted.
HasThat(Friend)ShipSailed?
Theinnocenceofchildhoodfriendship,
Wherenoformofjudgmentisfound.
Theonlyrealfriendswehad,werethen,
Now,wejustwishtimecouldturnaround...
Friends―itamusesmehowwehavetrulydemeanedthemeaningofthiswonderfulterm!
Cometothinkofit,"Whodowecallourfriends?
"Peoplewehavemetonceortwice,orpeoplewhoworkwithusandshareamoderaterelationshipwithus?
Maybewejustcallthemfriendsfortheheckofit.Anyway,comingbacktothepoint,hasn't"growingup"madeyourealizethatthewholerelationshipisnomorewhatitwasmeanttobe;thatthissupposedlyin-depthrelationshipisbecomingshallowerdaybyday?
Whileyoumightblametheothertobethereasonbehindyourfriendshipfallingapart,thinkaboutit...ittookthetwoofyoutobefriends,soitwouldtaketwoofyoutoruinitsdepth.Whenyourfew-months-oldfriendsjudgeyoubyyourclothes,ormockyouatyourweaknesses,don'tyourememberyourchildhoodpals―truefriendswhodidnotjudge,expect,ormockyou?
Howmanytimeshaveyouavoidedyourchildhoodbuddy'scall,oryourcommitmentshavepreventedyoutojointheget-togetherorareunion?
Haveyoutakenyourtruefriendsforgranted?
FreedomIsn'tValuedUntilitisTakenAwayIfyoudonotdecipherthevalueoffreedom,
Askhimwhoislockedwithinthefourwalls.
Youmustbewondering,evenifwetakeourfreedomforgranted,howdoesitmatter?
Ihadafriendwhosefamilyneversetanyrulesforhim.Hecouldgowhereheliked,andcomebackaslateashewantedto.Littleweretheparentsawarethathehadgottenintothehabitofdrugsandalcohol.Assoonashisparentsfoundout,theysenthimtoarehab,andhisworldturnedaround.Aguywhoneverfollowedanyobligationswasaskedtofollowrules.Hedidn'thavethefreedomtodrinkalcohol,party,takedrugs...Althoughwhatwashappeningwasforhisowngood,herealizedthattheseweretheconsequencesofhimtakinghisfreedomforgranted.Hadherealizedhisresponsibilitytowardshisfamily,career,andhisownlife,hewouldhavenevergonethroughsuchadevastatingexperience.Hehastaughtmetobegratefulfortheprivilegetoroamfree.Don'ttakeadvantageofit;honoryourresponsibilitiestowardsotherssothatyoumayenjoythisgiftinthetruesenseofit.
Health...isIndeedtheBiggestWealth!
Doyourealizewhatablessingitis,
Tofeeltheairpassby,tohearthebirdsthatfly,
Tosmellthewetmudduringrains,
Wheneverythingisfelt,nothingrefrains...
Ihaveoftenheardpeoplecomplainaboutthehealth"problems"theyface.Frombeingoverweighttopimplestohairfalltoashortheight...Ihavehearditall!
Tobehonestwithyou,evenIsharedthesamecategoryuntiloneday,myworkintroducedtometoamedicalconditioncalledcysticfibrosis(CF).Withoutgettingintotheintricaciesofthisfatalcondition,andtoputitinasimpleway,CFtakesawaytheabilityofapersontobreathefreely.Imaginenotbeingabletodance,jump,orsingwithoutfear...fearoflosingoutonlife!
AndafterreadingthroughtheexperienceofthepeoplewithCF,whohavelivedtheirlivestothefullest,irrespectiveofthechallengesfaced,Ican'tthankGodenoughforthegiftofgoodhealth.So,noweverytimeIwakeupinthemorning,Idon'tforgettolistentothebeautifulsongsthebirdssingtome,orthebreezethatpassesbywithaslightwarmthofthesun.Theamazingsensesthatwehave,thepowertofeel,smell,hear,andsee,isenoughtomakeyourealizethebeautywithinandaroundyou.Irrespectiveofthefactthatyoumaynothavetheperfecthealth,countthesesmallblessings,andseehowyouroutlookchangestowardsyourlife,andyourhealth!
NatureisNothingbutaMiracleinItself...Isn'tnatureamiraculouspainting,withelements
thatmakeallthingslive?
Yes,Iamoneamongthemanywhosawthemovie'Avatar'andrealizedthatnatureismorethanjustanimals,plants,mountains,anddeserts;itisasourceofenergy,power,healing...itisamiraculoussourceoflifeitself!
Imean,justthinkaboutit.Thewaterthatquenchesourthirstisenoughfortheplantstogrowandbearflowers.Theplantsareanaturalsourceofmedicinalpropertiesthatcancuremanydiseases.Whilewehavetakennatureforgranted,anddrivenawayfromitsmotherlycarewhileinvitingnewdiseases,itstillhasitswondrouswaystohealus.Varioushealingtechniques,likeyoga,ayurveda,reiki,andthelike,focusontheenergyofnaturetobringbalanceinourderangedlives.Haven'tweexploitednatureenough,takingforgranteditssupremepoweroverusmortalhumans?
Wehavecuttrees,killedanimals,pollutedthepurityofwatersthatflow....Don'tyouthinkit'senough?
Ourtechnologicalachievementsarefutileagainstthewrathofnature,theglimpsesofwhichhavebeenseeninthepastintheformofcatastrophes,suchastsunami,HurricaneKatrina,floods,famines,andwildfires.Aren'ttheseenoughtoshowmanitstrueplace.ItishightimewetakeactionstohealthewoundedEarth.Likenature,itspatienceshouldalsonotbetakenforgranted.
Home...OurTrueShelterinthisWorldWeblamelifefornotgivingusafancyvilla,withabeachsideview!
Wasn'thomesupposedtobeaplaceofrestandpeace,
Multiplyingyourjoy,evenifthemeansarefew?
Weusuallytendtointerconnectthetwowords:
homeandfamily.Growingupinvariouscities,Ihavealwaysheardpeoplewhineaboutnothavingaspacioushouse,orcomparingtheirinteriorsdesignswithothersinthecircle.ButmyentireperceptiontowardshomechangedwhenIsawtheimageabove.Idon'tknowwhy,somethingaboutthisimagejuststruckme,touchedmedeepwithin...or,gavemeyetanother'momentofreflection'!
Ilookedatthisimage,andIthoughttomyselfthateventhoughthesechildrenarenotexactlyunderafancyshelter,andthattheydonotseemtobelivinginluxury,theirsmiledepictssuchcontentment.ThoughIdon'texpectyoutounderstandthis,anditisindeedverydifficulttoexplain,itjustmademerealizethat"home",inthetruesenseofit,isnotaluxuryhotelwithchauffeursandservants,orfancypaintings.Itisaspacedecoratedwithhugs,smiles,care,andconcern.Itisaplacethatkeepsyousafefromtheoutsideworldsothatyoucanrest,rejuvenate,andgladlytakelifeasitcomes.
Food...theFuelthatGivesUsLifeWhileweareblessedwiththeoptiontoeatwhatwefeel,
Therearesomewhowouldn'tevenknow,
Whenwouldtheygettoeattheirnextmeal!
Whilethequoteabovemaysoundalittleeffusive,itisafact.IrealizedhowfortunateIamwhenIsawanoverwhelmingsightofanoldladyhuntingforsomethingtoeatatagarbagebin.Itdrenchedmyheartwithpity,sorrow,andmostimportantly,guilt.NotthatIwasresponsibleforhermisery,butsomehowthatmomentrecalledthememoriesoftimeswhenIhadthrownawayfood―bread,salad,leftoverpastas,pizzas―justbecausemystomachwasfull,orIwantedtogetridofthe"clutter"inmyrefrigerator.Well,wealltendtodothis,anditisquiteanormalact.ButwhenIsawthatlady,Irealized,whatifItookalittleefforttogivethatfoodtothepoorinsteadofthrowingitinthegarbage?
Anotherrealizationthatoccurredatthatmomentwasthesinof"gluttony."Wehumansarefunny,aren'twe?
Wesitatourdeskjobs,feelextremelyhungry,orderextrafood(justincase),eatextra,andthenpaymoneytotakeagymmembershipandloseallthoseaddedpounds.Ithinkifwelearntovalueeachandeverygrainasamiraculoussourceofenergy,andconsumeitbyvaluingitnotjustasfood,butasourceofnourishment,therewillbeenoughtofeedmanyothers.Ilearnedthisfromaverydearfriendofmine,"Whenabe