Thankful Thursday

Is it Thursday again already? Really, where does the time slip away to? The minutes seem to be slipping by more and more quickly these days, which gives me cause to wonder if I'm making the best use of the time I'm given. Each day is a gift, and we never know when that gift will be taken away from us.

Which brings me to the point: I'm thankful for all the moments that make up a day, which make up a week, a month, a year, my life. And all of those various moments are encased in choices. Some people aren't fortunate enough to have numerous opportunities every day to make choices for themselves. For those of us that are so blessed, I am grateful for the choices and the lessons, the opportunities for growth, and the miracles that lie within them.

Do I allow myself to give into the frustration and be upset about the challenges and difficulties that I face, or do I choose to handle them with grace and a clenched smile and face them head on?

Do I sit idly by and watch my children play with the same toys that they've played with a dozen times already this week, or do I seize that moment to put their shoes on their constantly moving feet and take them outdoors and blow bubbles the size of their heads and listen to their giggles of delight?

Do I cry tears of sorrow for the very close friend that will move away next week, or do I cherish the memories of all the moments that she has been in my life and made it a little more special?

Today I went out to my rose bush, with the intention of cutting some roses to put in a vase in my kitchen. The rose bush sits on the side of my house near the street, where everyone driving past can see it and appreciate its beauty, where the bees can buzz and pollenate, where the sun can soak the petals in warmth.

I chose instead to leave the flowers intact. To let them continue to grow and thrive as they will rather than disturb the path of nature, because that's what I'm grateful for at the moment in my own life.