What We Take for Granted

Listening to a guided meditation today, I was struck by a statement reminding me about what happens each morning when we wake up. Every morning of our lives, we open our eyes and completely take for granted that our heart is still beating, our lungs are breathing without a second thought from us, our kidneys are churning out urine, and the blood and lymph and other vital fluids of our body are busily going about their work as we rub our eyes and set feet to the floor.

I, for one, am so often lost in the daily deluge of email, phone calls, papers, appointments and "things to do" that I completely forget what's happening right here inside my little envelope of skin. How can this be?

My wife often reminds me to be sure to feel, express and contemplate gratitude every day. Gratitude for what? For breathing, for another day, for our home, our dog, our son, our health, the money we have in the bank, the jobs that we're so very lucky to have. Gratitude, she says, for everything and anything, is what's most important to contemplate every day.

So, how do we remember to do this? How do we remember to feel grateful every day? Do we put Post-It notes on every surface, reminding us to be grateful? Perhaps. Do we tattoo "Remember to be grateful" backwards on our foreheads so that we remember every time we look in a mirror? (Perhaps a little extreme, but if you try it, please send me a photo!)

I admit that I am as guilty as the next person, and I am more likely to forget than to remember. Luckily, I have my own "Gratitude Guru" in my life, and I am reminded to be grateful more often than I would sometimes like! Still, I appreciate the effort, and am slowly making strides.

So, dear Reader, how do you remember to be grateful? Do you feel gratitude from time to time? What happens when your feet hit the floor each morning?