Appreciation

If I am to write the things that I am taking for granted, I could come up with a relatively long list. This probably goes with many other people as well. No matter how much we deny it, the truth remains that we forget the worth of many things in our lives. Oftentimes, we need something to remind us of a certain thing's intrinsic value.

Whenever there is a recollection (a.k.a. silent reflection) or immersion (a.k.a. living with other people), one or two people in a group would say in the final gathering, "I realized how lucky I really am." Every year in every batch and every group, there is at least one who would say those lines. For me, it's like a generic response if one has nothing else to say. But really, shouldn't appreciating what we have, be a given already? So why do we hear the same line, over and over again?

The answer is simple, we forget and we overlook. The reason for this is that we always desire something else. Our eyes are looking at the latest I-pad or tablet. Our tongue is craving for that "Island Paradise in Heaven's Halo" (a.k.a. vanilla ice cream with butter wafer). Our skin is itching for that whitening and anti-aging cream. We take for granted the qualities and the things that we have. We aim for that "something else" even if it is not necessarily better than what we are or what we currently have.

The thing is, do we really need to always be reminded to appreciate what we have or who we are? Do we really need to go on a silent retreat every day just to appreciate the friends who have always been with us in times of happiness and sorrow? Do we really need to live with a poor family every week just to appreciate the fact that we are eating meals on a regular basis? Ultimately, do we have to wait until someone is gone before we realize how much we love and care for that person?

If we can memorize different mathematical formula for an examination, or familiarize ourselves in an area so we would not get lost, can't we remember the things that matter to us, regardless of how small these are? If we cannot go for a silent retreat everyday, let this blog entry, or other simple things that you could think of, be a reminder of how lucky we really are.