I am blessed

I've lived a charmed life.  Sometimes I'm almost afraid to say that... I want to "knock wood", in case my stating the obvious might bring on disaster.  But I know better.  If the worst (whatever that is) happens tomorrow, it won't negate the good things that have come to me in my life.  The universe owes me nothing.

I have pretty much done as I pleased since the day of my birth and lived to tell about it.  I certainly didn't deserve such a good life; I'm as self-centered and spoiled as they come, and yet I go on living a happy life.  I could tell you about things in the past that seemed bad when they happened, but in the vast scheme of things those events only served to make me appreciate what I had when they were gone.  This knowledge helps me weather storms when they come.

I could whine that I didn't travel as much as I would have liked, but that was my choosing.  Why?  Because I stayed home most of my adult life and enjoyed my gardens, my babies, other folks' babies, my cows, and the quiet of the countryside:  There isn't much money in any of those enterprises.  I don't complain about my lack of travel because I realize that at any time, if I'd had the gumption to do so, I could have taken driving lessons, gotten a good job, raked in the dough, and traveled anywhere I pleased.  

I don't have a lot of patience for people with the "poor-me" syndrome, those who blame others for the things they lack.  Such folks do, however, serve to remind me not to go down that path, so I suppose I should be thankful for them.

Again this morning I spent time sitting quietly, doing nothing.  Once again, I wrote a poem.

TRUE WEALTH

Donna Wood 12/11/2015

We spend our time acquiring things we think will make life better,

But in the end, each bauble simply serves to forge a fetter

That only draws attention from the very things we need

And robs life of it's meaning, stealing peace and leaving greed.

The wanting and the wishing slowly saps away your life.

The getting and the spending steal your time and bring you strife.

Pin your hopes upon a thing, it's oft the thing that shatters.

All your expectations make you miss what really matters.

Every breath is precious. Every heartbeat is a gift,

Do not feel unsettled when life's sands begin to shift.

The past is gone. The future is a million miles away.

Just give thanks for the seconds that add up to make this day.