Gratitude

You're familiar with the old saying, "I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet." This actually happened to me last week, figuratively speaking.

I was feeling quite stressed with Christmas fast approaching, bills to pay, my son's college application, and unknown future possibilities. I let my grumpy mood overtake me.

Wednesday night we went to the high school to watch my beautiful, talented daughter dance at the half time of a basketball game. There is a large window that overlooks the court. As I glanced up at it, I saw a friend of ours. She is a mother about my age, with kids the same ages as my kids. She has been negotiating with cancer for many years now. We recently ran into her at the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving. She shared with us her glad news that her cancer was in remission and expressed her joy at the prospects of growing her hair back. Now it is less than a month later and her cancer is back.

As I watched her I was overcome with guilt. Here I was feeling irritated with the "what ifs" in my life when the "what ifs" in her life made mine pale in comparison. I can't imagine living with the prospect of "what if" I'm not here next year. So I've decided to put my life in perspective. I can deal with the issues on my plate, and I can deal with them with a positive attitude. I can look for opportunities to be a little kinder and a little more patient. I can live each moment with gratitude in my heart. Most importantly, I can remember what the Christmas season is all about - our Savior who died to save us all from the "what ifs" of life.