Appreciating life this evening...

[ehrnst]

1. My spouse and I are employed.

2. We have affordable health insurance.

3. Our house is standing, and we have a mortgage we can afford.

4. Our 12 year old terrier is snoring on the couch.

5. My spouse is going over homework with our 9 year old son, and there is more giggling than groaning.

6. The four of us are healthy.

7. We have the luxury of donating our money and time to causes that we believe in.

8. Our marriage is strong, and our son laughs easily and loves much.

9. We have a deep understanding that we have a life that most people on this earth don't get a chance at, and it is a result, in part, of being born in the right place at the right time. We are not taking it for granted, and understand the fragility of happiness, especially in light of Oklahoma and Sandy Hook, as well as the death of a friend from cancer just before her daughter's college graduation.

We are pondering the difference between, "blessed," "lucky," & "Privileged."

How does one express "gratitude" without feeling like someone or something "bestowed" this on us, or alternately, feel like we are entitled to this?

[GentryDixon]

1. You are very lucky indeed, as is your

family. That includes the snoring terrier.

[babylonsister]

2. Thank you for your uplifting post.

I am happy for you, and feel pretty lucky myself, for entirely different reasons. It is so worth thinking about the positives instead of constantly dwelling on the negatives. I wish more people would do that.

[Awknid]

4. Definitely better to think about the positives

Being of French decent and raised in a very French culture, it is my tendency to count the negatives first. I'm trying hard to stop it and count my blessings. You have shown how sweet that can be. Thanks for sharing those images. You deserve all you have and should enjoy the blessings without reserve!

[gateley]

15. I'm not sure it's just the French culture -- I find I automatically default to negative.

It's a concerted effort to look at the positive.

[FLyellowdog]

3. I prefer the term "fortunate"...

I think the best way to express gratitude is by doing for those who have been less fortunate than we. Who could not give back when we have so much?

I certainly haven't deserved the bounty that has come my way any more than anyone else did or did not deserve it. Yes, I have always been in those places that allowed me to make good decisions or encouraged in me the ability to overcome poor choices. But I am constantly in awe of the fact that but for a few well-placed genes, things could be so different.

There is no rhyme or reason...just fortuitous circumstances and I am ever so grateful for my life.

I've been very fortunate indeed.

[LeftofObama]

5. I have to give this a K & R!

Sometimes when things start getting me down I have to stop and count my blessings. It's nice to see someone else doing the same.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

6. I for one, on this night the most, appreciate life!

[ashling]

14. We are only truly alive insofar as we love, save, give, stand ... for others

anyway, that's what I get from this video.

BTW, thanks for your post LFR: I am now a confirmed fan of Nickleback

[Junkdrawer]

7. Kurt Vonnegut: If This Isn't Nice, What Is?

And now I want to tell you about my late Uncle Alex. He was my father’s kid brother, a childless graduate of Harvard who was an honest life insurance salesman in Indianapolis. He was well-read and wise. And his principal complaint about other human beings was that they so seldom noticed it when they were happy. So when we were drinking lemonade under an apple tree in the summer, say, and talking lazily about this and that, almost buzzing like honeybees, Uncle Alex would suddenly interrupt the agreeable blather to exclaim, “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.”

So I do the same now, and so do my kids and grandkids. And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.”

That’s one favor I’ve asked of you.

Now I’ve got another one, a show of hands. How many of you have had a teacher at any point in your entire education who made you happier to be alive, prouder to be alive than you had previously believed possible? Now please say the name of that teacher out loud to someone sitting or standing near you.

OK? All done? “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.”

http://inthesetimes.com/article/knowing_whats_nice

[liberal_at_heart]

8. I felt this same wave of extreme gratefulness around Mother's Day.

A student at my daughter's high school committed suicide right before Mother's Day. I couldn't help but feel for the parents, and felt immediate and enormous gratitude that I had my husband and my children in my life.

[loli phabay]

9. i always figure any day where my family is safe is a good day.

[ehrnst]

10. As a counterpoint, our terrier just cleared the room with some wicked flatulence.

I feel fortunate also that the universe has a sense of humor.

Thank you all for the good thoughts. I hope everyone gets some peace of mind this evening.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

16. A terrier lived in my house when I was in college

The rule was "Don't feed her meat" and everyone knew if the rule was broken...

[Phlem]

11. Slam dunk and a high five.

"How does one express "gratitude" without feeling like someone or something "bestowed" this on us, or alternately, feel like we are entitled to this? "

your doing it already.

Observing, contrasting, appreciating, not because you are "blessed," "lucky," & "Privileged."

Your outside of all that right now just feeling grateful. I think it is in this place where helping the less fortunate will compound and solidify what it is to be grateful.

Peace to you and your loved ones and to everyone on this earth.

-p

[randome]

12. Then you need to hire this guy.

For the one thing you never counted on.



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[font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font]
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[WCGreen]

13. Amen....