Something to be Grateful for ...
It
was Friday. I was feeling down. As soon as I got off the jeepney, I got to
thinking of something that would uplift my spirit. As I walked down the parking
lot of the mall, I thought of gratitude. They say that when you think of all
the things to be thankful for, you would realize how blessed you are. That
would be a good idea to start with if you want to feel good and happy. So, I
started to think of the first and most valuable reason that I should be
thankful for. And do you know what it is? It's the fact that I'm alive. I'm
alive! I couldn't forget the fact that I was almost killed by an insane and
violent person about five years ago. And the fact that I have stage two Chronic
Kidney Disease. Being alive is a great, great blessing from God! When I entered
the mall, I looked around me and saw the nice view of colorful window displays
and people walking in different directions. I smiled and said to myself,
"Thank God! I've got eyes to see these things!" I whispered,
"Thank you, God! And thank you that I've got two legs and two feet! I can
walk and go places! Like what I'm doing right now." I got on saying,
"Thank you for my family...for my Mom...for my siblings...for my nieces
and nephews...for all my relatives. Thank you for their love and support. Thank
you for my friends who cheer me up every now and then." I'm grateful for
all the blessings that I'm receiving. And the list goes on. I've begun to feel
great and joyful on my way home.
The
next day, my Mom and I packed our things as we prepared to go to the province.
We wanted to visit my grandma. On the sidewalk as we waited for the bus, I
asked God to grant us a safe and wonderful trip to and from grandma's place. I
also asked God to send us an airconditioned bus which is brand new with a good
driver and kind passengers. After a few minutes, the bus arrived. It was brand
new and airconditioned. We got in and I sat beside a lady. I put on my
earphones and listened to the music of Josh Groban. Thankful to God for the bus
and the music. After some time, I felt nauseated. I asked Mom who is seated on
the first row on my left if she has menthol candies. She started to look inside
her bag and asked me why. I told her how I felt. The woman beside me opened up
her bag, reached inside and held out a tictac pack to me. She offered it to me
and said, "I hope this would help. " She opened the cover and dropped
a few pieces on my palm. I thanked her. Mom finally found a mint candy and gave
it to me. I thanked her and took the
candy. I felt blessed that God provided for my needs. Thankful that God let me
sat beside that kind woman. After a few
hours, I felt the sensation of urinating. I noticed that the bus didn't pass by
the third terminal station. I asked Mom to confirm my thoughts, "Mom, the
bus didn't stop on the third station right?" She replied, "Yes.
Why?" I told her I need to pee. The man sitting behind her asked me,
"Ma'am, did I hear you right that you need to pee?" So, I looked at him and said yes. He happened
to be the bus inspector. He told the bus
driver to look for the nearest gasoline station where there's a comfort room
and park the bus there. I thanked him. I still couldn't believe the bus was stopping
over for my sake. The driver did as he
was told. The bus parked by a gasoline station and the conductor announced,
"Those who want to pee may do so now." Nobody stood but me. So, I got
off the bus and did what I needed to do. On my way back to the bus, a wonderful
thought beamed on me. Imagine?! A public transportation bus stopped on this
side of the road just for me?! They've
got a schedule to meet and yet they did that for me. Such kindness that is rare
nowadays. I felt loved by God! All my prayers are answered! Truly, there's a
lot of things to be thankful for in this life... and the little setbacks would
be nothing compared to the many reasons to be happy about and grateful for!
So, the next time you feel like being depressed, think of the countless blessings that you have been and are receiving in your life. You'll realize how blessed you are and that there's no point to being sad at trivial things. You've got a choice. Either you choose sadness or happiness. Choose to be happy. It makes life worthwhile. Go ahead, think of something to be grateful for!
