Not to forget

It will never cease to amaze me how easily I can take things for granted and I really don't want to do that. I want to value every moment, every gift as if I were about to lose it... and I just find myself forgetting how precious certain things are.

These are things I once longed desperately for and now want to cherish:

1) Falling in love
2) Being married
3) Owning a home
4) Getting/Being pregnant

When these things were just far-off dreams, I made so many promises to myself about how I would cherish them- how I would constantly remind my partner that I love him, how I would take exceptionally good care of our home, how I would never complain about anything in pregnancy and would thank God every day for another day with our baby... Unfortunately, I haven't kept these promises as well as I should...

I have so much to be grateful for- not only those things above but also:

• Incredible parents who show their love for me a thousand different ways
• Steady, meaningful work
• A formal education that I have thoroughly loved
• The ability to walk, to dance, to run, to jump
• The ability to write and read, to speak and listen, to smell and hear
• The luxury of going out to eat, of getting my nails done with my mom, of being able to buy new clothes when I need them
• Sisters that I would never trade for anything in the world...bright, intelligent, beautiful, hilarious, incredible young women...
• Coworkers that make work not only bearable but also often enjoyable
• Friends- good friends that are loyal and really truly there for me
• My faith- my faith that helps me maintain hope, that helps me remember what's really important, that challenges me, guides me, shapes me

I know I could never deserve all the blessings in my life- I don't pretend to think that just by "being a good person" all of this should be mine. I am totally humbled when I think of all the ways I have been blessed and totally ashamed to think of how much I complain in spite of my blessings...

Oh Lord, I am so sorry for the times I forget to be thankful- for times I see the glass as half-empty, for times I am grumpy without any reason to be. Please help me to simplify my life and re-prioritize to focus on what's really important. Please help me not to forget the the times when I longed for what I have now, so as to not take today for granted... Thank you for all that you've blessed us with- most of all for the hope of one day being with you in heaven.