for granted

Don’t take anything for granted.  It’s a concept we’ve been reminded of over and over again the older we get.  Not a single breath, not a single day, not a single moment.  The cliché ‘you never miss a good thing till it’s gone’ seems so simple but it’s actually quite profound indeed.  It’s where appreciation and regret cross paths in a lonely town called Yesterday.  A place we’ve, unfortunately, all been and detest…and will surely visit again.

We take the smallest things for granted.  Wi-Fi, conversation, running water, a roof over our head, health, fresh air and family to name a few.  Although sometimes fresh air and family don’t always see eye to eye…or maybe my brothers just eat too much magical fruit.  Thank god for candles and febreeze.  We’ve all gotten something taken away from us.  We have been injured, sick, witness to less fortunate circumstances, victims of theft, forgetful or out of battery.  In fact, if you want to bring out someone’s inner-wire-hanger persona, hide their phone, sit back, relax and enjoy the show.  People.go.bonkers.

I’m sure you’re old enough by now that you know what it feels like to be taken for granted.  And I’m sure you have taken things or people in your life for granted as well.  We have all done it.  It’s human nature.  Divide and conquer.  On to the next.  That’s how our brains work.  Humanity doesn’t handle boredom very well.  You’ve tackled one mountain and you’re ready for more mountains.  Satisfaction is only temporary.  A bunch of masochists I tell ya.

We get into routines.  In this great big world, our go-to spots, our people and our typical Tuesdays are quite predictable.  We are creatures of habit.  And while we yearn for the familiar and find comfort in what we know, we will never stop craving something new, some kind of change or something “better”.  The kicker is that our idea of better is not guaranteed to be so.  So we take risks, we dive into the unknown and we watch people on game shows lose thousands upon thousands of dollars looking for more.  We need unwavering stability and spontaneous adventure simultaneously.  In a nutshell, we are all oxymoronic needy nightmares.

Besides your family, no one holds any sort of obligation to you.  Remember that.  I had a conversation with my mother and she said with an adamant ferocity “you can’t expect anything from anyone, ever”.  At first I found her statement appalling and terribly grim but she has a point.  As they say, expectation is the root of all heartache.  If you never have expectations you can never be disappointed.  Grand Epiphany!  Well, if you figure out how to manage that, you call me immediately.  I’m talking drop everything you’re doing, holding or saying and CALL ME.  If I don’t pick up, you text me and then call me again repetitively until you hear my voice which was voted most hoarse and husky in my college voice class.  It’s basically what every little girl dreams of hearing. (It’s not)  Meanwhile, patent that shit because you, my friend, have discovered the leprechauns’ stash of gold and I want some.

So tell your bones you love them. Be grateful for rainy days-it could be raining bullets. Literally. Thank you smooth roads or mostly smooth roads and suspension. Say thank you as sit in your fancy car in traffic. Or maybe it’s not so fancy but at least you have power steering and a radio which is more than anyone in the 20s could ever have imagined.  Recognize that you’re on borrowed time and that nothing is permanent…except change and Twinkies.  They seriously don’t rot or expire. It’s beyond weird.  Be ever grateful for those who love you because they don’t have to.  Everything can change in an instant.  Remember that.  While I support goals, endeavors and progress, don’t disregard what you have because it might be worth more than you think.

This week’s post is dedicated to my cousin Suzy who was one of the kindest souls I ever met.  May her infectious smile and zest for life make the heavens a little brighter.  The Fourth of July will always sparkle in memory of you… xx