I woke from a dream in which I was the eldest son of a wealthy family. Our life was incredibly priveleged, full of material and social advantages. My sister Sally and I had just summered at the cottage with our spouses and children, and right at the end of the season, something incredibly minor and (literally) forgettable had happened that had everyone in an outraged tizzy. The phrase on my lips when my eyes opened was: "Of course, Sally and I were beside ourselves."
This was such a funny echo of yesterday, when I spent the morning grouchy and irritable over little nothings - careless comments, small inconveniences - forgetting till nearly 2pm to appreciate the many good things in my life. Gratitude is a value that some cultures and religions try to instill as a moral value. But it's also much simpler; it opens the doorway to happiness with Right Now. It's a powerful gift you can give yourself. And since I was raised with protestant ethics like duty, and can't totally shake it, I will say that it probably does behoove me to be more aware of the privelege and bounty in my life now.
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