Gratefulness

Today I am simply grateful that I know what it means to be grateful for something or someone.

I was picking up dog toys the other day when movement caught my eye out the back door window. Instinctively I looked up, instead of a giant bug or a murderous squirrel, I saw the falling leaves from the huge tree that shades our back yard. I stopped what I was doing, and I just stood there. How had I not noticed this yet? I've been so wrapped up in other things to notice the leaves change. So, I stood there, staring out the window. I took that moment to be grateful for the beauty right in front of my face each day. To be grateful for the ability to stop and be grateful for moments like this one. 

There is so much going on in this world that people forget that they have the ability to forgive, the ability to love unconditionally, to be grateful for the small things. I see it every single day. I've seen people close to me lose themselves in jealousy, in envy, in greed, in ambition, in success. They are so focused on what they don't have, they forget to be grateful with what they do have. And I feel sad for them, because I fear that nothing will ever be enough to satisfy their hunger for more things. 

Have you stopped to notice the leaves fall? Not because you want a good picture for a blog posts or this will make the perfect backdrop for my selfie or you'll get tons of likes on Instagram. For me, some of the best moments are the ones undocumented by a picture or tweet. They happen when I'm fully present and not worried about likes and comments. They don't need to be approved by the masses because they are mine, and they make me happy, and that's all that really matters.

What are you grateful for today?

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