Things You Should Not Take for Granted.docx

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