Reflection

Last night as I was laying in bed just before falling asleep my mind started to wonder. Although it seems that life has been difficult the past while, my mind took me somewhere else. I began to think about all the wonderful things I have experienced in life. I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my life. Sure it has been filled with difficult times, I think most people experience that, but it has also been filled with some wonderful moments. It's those moments that keep me going, that make life worth living.

I've built sand castles on the beaches of California and I've climbed the highest peaks in Colorado. I've run across the Golden Gate Bridge and I've bicycled through the streets of Manhattan. I've looked out from atop the Statue of Liberty and (as a tourist) I've sat in a prison cell on Alcatraz. I've driven from one coast to the other. I've walked through blizzards and hiked through deserts, I've walked through Central Park in the fall. I've tasted warm soup on a rainy day. I've eaten homemade cookies after a walk home from school. I've felt the arms of a loved ones embrace. I've laughed so hard that I've cried. I've seen four wonderful children enter the world and watched them grow. I've been chased around a table by a growling little girl. I've heard the wisdom of child explain why grown-ups aren't as happy as children. I've seen my children play and dance and I've heard them sing. I've ridden my new bicycle in my pajamas with my brother and sisters early on a Christmas morning. I've been loved and I've loved. I've worked and I've served, but best of all I've played. I've heard concerts and I've heard birds sing.

This is actually a short list of the joy I've felt in my life. What's not to be happy about? What's not to love? Live can be hard but it can be great. I've been blessed and for that I'm grateful. I look forward to what's next. Thinking of these things helps me look past my pain and struggles and look forward to the joy and happiness that awaits.