Things We Take for Granted

By Pamela Reynolds –

“Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.”  Aldous Huxley

I was thinking about how many little things are done for me by others. It made me realize what a great support system I have and how little I have respected it or was grateful. I didn’t want to feel guilty which only sucks energy so I began to mull it over instead. I thought about how many times others call to check on me or my family, or offer to help me do things I can’t handle myself. I thought about birthday cards surprise visits and friendly texts or e-mails.

When I mention I am having a bad time at that moment in my life I am surrounded with support. It may not always come exactly the way I planned but it refreshes soothes and turns my day around. The mail person who waits for me to walk to my box instead of tossing it into my mailbox because I am still far down my driveway took the time to acknowledge me as a person. She waited for me and handed me my mail. The person in the grocery store who got me another carriage so my bags wouldn’t spill out. Then she flagged a person from the store to wheel out the second carriage. She was awesome.

Many times I like to get into the bathroom first in the morning and my husband never complains. I don’t stop to thank him or others for the many nice things that are done for me. I say thank you at the time people do something nice but I don’t really think long or deeply about how wonderful the thoughtfulness actually was. I know if someone is mean to me I review it and go on and on about it until I am sick of thinking about it. I just wonder why I can’t savor the kind Acts longer than I agonize over the mean acts.

Most people appear to be like me because they do not remember things I did for them yet they will give a noticeable face or remark if I have erred. I would like someone to explain why we think more about the bad things others do to us rather than focus and remember the good deeds they performed. It seems so ridiculous yet universal. I am beginning to think that it is why we fight with others and cut them out of our lives. It isn’t because of the one small thing that they did to us. It is because we didn’t remember all the wonderful helpful acts they did that went unnoticed.

Even my birds that come to the bird feeder give back more to me than I to them. They allow me into their world for a while and they teach me about trust. I am so much larger than they yet they land in front of me without fear. I feed them all of the time, and in all seasons. They don’t forget who I am or what I have done for them.

Why do we as a species forget?

I don’t have the answer unless to say we like to argue and fight. I hope that isn’t true but then one must ask how come so many people have problems with so many other people. It has to boil down to simply recalling the thoughtful moments we receive goodness. I need to be more grateful to the core. I need to start trying this today because I just saw my mail person accidentally drop my mail on the ground. I remind myself to remember simply remember!