DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED

In life, we all need to understand that it is important not to take anything for granted : your friends, loved ones, family, studies, job, and even your own life.
Human beings have a curious capacity to take things for granted. The most exquisite diamond loses its lustre with familiarity. The most compatible intimate becomes boring as time goes by. Even God’s beautiful miracles like the daily sunrise and sunset fail to astonish most human beings because they have become a routine! Repetition and time - dull our sense of wonder and thus we all took everything for granted. When a thing becomes familiar to us, the mystery we have projected onto it is lost. We see it without the overlay of our imaginings. For instance, how many of us really notice each breath we breath in or we just took for granted we are still breathing and kicking?
I know, we can't live our life taking note of every single thing everyday though, but every now and again, we need to examine this wonderful world, those around us, those who love us and we should reciprocate their love or deeds no matter how small or big it might be. We don’t need to buy flowers, presents or any monetary valued things to appreciate them. Just words of appreciation or a smile, which are of no monetary value, is sufficient to tell them that you care and appreciate them. Money can’t buy happiness – so they say. You all might disagree with me on this but it is also said that "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" << Matthew16:26 >>Personally I must admit that I am neither perfect nor excused for taking things for granted in my life. I have been a culprit of this weakness one too many times. And it is a hard thing to come to terms with, no matter how much I have tried. But being human and human err, we have to continue trying no matter how difficult the task is. We have to keep reminding ourselves each time and appreciate our loved ones – show our love for them, thank them for loving us, find time to be with them in time of happiness and sorrows, value their sacrifices for us. Don’t take things for granted!
Seldom have we appreciate or notice little deeds of love that others have for us and we usually let these little things passed as if nothing happens. A simple un-noticeable love of a mother is when she prepared food on the table or washed your clothing or even swept your room. Now ask ourselves honestly, have any of us, just at least once, ever said “mom, thank you for the wonderful meal” or “mom, thank you for washing my cloths”. Or maybe when a child helps to wash the family car. Have the parents ever said “Thank you son/girl for washing the car”? We only seem to noticed big and glaring deeds around us or those deeds that have great impact on our lives especially monetary deeds – such as when we get gifts, Christmas or birthday presents or maybe ‘ang-pau’. We will be laughing and saying ‘thank you’. How selfish have we been! We took everything for granted.
I wish people will realize that there is no harm in telling someone you care, each and every day, thanking them for even the little un-noticeable love but there is more harm than imaginable in doing the exact opposite. There isn't a time you will regret letting someone know that you appreciate them – no matter who they are to you – but there will always be a time you will regret holding your tongue when all you wanted was to let them know you cared but was too late. But then as the saying goes “The greatest weakness of most humans is their hesitancy to tell others, how much they love them while they're alive."

Our life in this wonderful world is so short and life is very fragile. Each and every one of us, somehow or rather, will have to answer the call of our Creator. We don’t know when, how or where that call might be. It’s all a matter of time and it’s all in the hand of our Creator. Only He and He alone knows. "Before someone's tomorrow has been taken away, cherish those you love, appreciate them today. For tomorrow may be too late."


Sincerely yours with love always,