Happiness calls forth gratitude. I end my day today as I do every night, recounting my blessings. I am grateful that a 21 year old young woman I know still has her breast that this morning she thought she might loose to breast cancer. At the last minute, most literally, the surgeon determined her records had been misread and the surgeory was not necessary. The gift? She has the opportunity to have an expanded appreciation of every moment.
It would be easy to turn to the past and stay focused on coming so close to a mistake, or be consumed by all the wasted worry, or rush to the future wondering if next week, next month or next year cancer may prevail. My mom taught me at her passing that if I rushed to the past regretting what could have been or lept to the future dwelling on all we would not share, we would miss out on the power of the precious moments we had right then and there.
So, in this moment I celebrate the outcome of the day with one precious young woman still feeling in tack and her body whole. Her greatest challenge, the same challenge we all face, is to be here, focus here, live here right now. Against all odds we are called to let go of the fear and worry that distorts the ability to choose happiness. We do have the ultimate choice, though it is harder to make amidst bumpy times. Even here at moments like these, and maybe even especially at moments like this one, our calling and invitation is to find our way to gratitude, for today there was an angel smiling somewhere, and the gifts and powerful potentials of this day are yet to be fully revealed. Grab onto this moment, and just smile.
Comments