Was there a point in your life when you realized that you have to be grateful for what you have?

My divorce seemed to remove all identity of my life I had at the time. Everything I had and thought I was invested in that relationship. Months down the road I realized I had what I always had and no one could ever take that away from me. It was a valuable lesson to learn.

Recognizing what goes on in the world around you always helps keep me in check. I still remember how I felt when I saw this picture a few years ago.

Health problems did that for me.
I see them as a gift :)

When I get put in the hospital, I always get put up on the pediatric cancer floor. I don’t know why, but that’s where they stick me. My roommates are usually under 5 years old. That keeps me from feeling too sorry for myself.

I’m very grateful for what I have now, although this hasn’t been precipitated by any recent adversity.

The last time my gratitude was prompted by an adverse event, was when some ahole intentionally scratched my car, and the police wouldn’t do anything but take my report.

Eventually I was very grateful when I decided not to get the scratches repaired, and instead got a check from my insurance company for mucho dinero. :-)

Hmmm. Seems like I’ve always been that way… happy with whatever I have at the time. Perhaps it was because my grandparents ( who raised me until I was 12 years old ) didn’t have a lot of money, so I had to make do with what I could find. : )

I was going through a bad economic period, and I realized that my happiness was not related to the amount of money I had.

Right now I’m sitting outside of my daughter’s hospital room. Monday, we got bad news. Today, things are looking much better. She recognized things (thus my avatar change – that’s my son.) I’m grateful we’re all alive and with some time and therapy, she will be on the mend.

I don’t want perfection. I just want my family together. It’s okay if we’re a little dinged up. We alive and together. That’s all I want.

@cak I’m keeping her in my thoughts!!!

@Jude – thank you

I was raised that way, so it didn’t happen at any one moment.

Now. Given the economy I have to keep going balls to the wall to keep everything paid, the basics that is. I’m pleased to have mostly my sweet little family and a great home for them to grow up in.

I took standing on my own two feet for granted. I took walking to the bathroom on my own two feet for granted. I took being able to do things for myself for granted.
Breaking my ankle has shown me a lot of things I took for granted. And now I realise how much I still have that I can lose and it makes me appreciate all that I have. I still have a healthy body, yummy good food and a roof to cover my head. I have a pillow and a bed.
Hell, I have clean water to drink and the ones I love around me. I’m happy.