Grateful that I draw breath. That I've had another chance. Another opportunity to work and play. Time to make peace. To say "I love you" or "I'm sorry" or "I forgive you." Time to see another beautiful sunrise or sunset, snow storm or rain storm. Walk on Mother Earth.
Grateful for another opportunity to see my husband, or a son or a daughter. Grateful to embrace a dear friend.
Grateful for infants' innocent eyes, toddlers' endless energy, teens' flowering talents, young adults' dreams and visions, middle-agers' practical progress, elders' hard-won wisdom.
Grateful that I live in an age where my blindness can be corrected by glasses and my deafness with hearing aids. Grateful that insulin exists for my husband with diabetes. That chemotherapy exists to fight cancer cells and diseases are being cured by adult stem cells.
Grateful that I can call, email, or text a child or grandchild in another city. Or even fly there. My great-great-grandparents may have never seen or heard from that child again, except for a very occasional letter.
Grateful that I live in a world where Technology connects people across the globe, so that we see that we are all human, that we all fall in love, that we all love babies and animals, that we all hurt and bleed when we're caught in a battle zone.
Grateful that we can use Technology to unite around the globe to raise funds to help health workers fight Ebola, or to organize to protest against global environmental pollution.
Grateful for every person in my life who has challenged me and provoked me because they have forced me to grow stronger, more resilient, and maybe even opened my eyes.
Grateful for every person in my life who has given joy to my life. Grateful that the ones who have died were in my life to begin with. Grateful for the gift of faith that one day I will be with them again.
Above all, I whisper, I am grateful to You, God. That You exist. That You have chosen to give me life and bring me into this marvelous world. Amen.
"I WILL PRAISE YOU, LORD, WITH ALL MY HEART; I WILL DECLARE ALL YOUR WONDROUS DEEDS." (Psalms 9 - 10, verse 1)